Officials from the Port, Oregon Department of Transportation and railroads were joined by U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, state Rep. Tina Kotek, and Portland Mayor Sam Adams in Rivergate Industrial District in late January to recognize the completion of three vital transportation projects and the commencement of a fourth.
The projects will improve connections, capacity and safety for rail and road infrastructure to increase the competitiveness of Rivergate Industrial District, Portland’s largest industrial park. Presenters emphasized the importance of investing in multimodal transportation infrastructure for future freight mobility, job generation and economic vitality.
“Whether you’re Columbia Grain or Columbia Sportswear, you need rivers, roads and rail to get your product from point A to point B,” said Tom Imeson, public affairs director for the Port of Portland.
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| Tom Imeson, Port public affairs director; Scott Moore, vice president of public affairs – western region, Union Pacific; U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer; Gail Achterman, chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission; Oregon State Rep. Tina Kotek; Mayor Sam Adams; and Greg Guthrie, director of marketing, BNSF Railway. |
Ramsey Rail Yard and South Rivergate Rail Yard Expansion will eliminate bottlenecks, improving capacity and velocity for rail traffic. North Lombard Widening added turn lanes to support increasing traffic and a multiuse pathway to improve safety. Leadbetter Overcrossing enhances connectivity for truck service to distribution centers and warehouses in the area without impeding rail traffic.
The four projects were funded with a combination of public and private investments from the Port of Portland; city of Portland Bureau of Transportation; ConnectOregon; the Oregon Transportation Investment Act; the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program; the federal Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU); Union Pacific Railroad; and BNSF Railway.
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Rivergate Industrial District