PennDOT receives $15 million for Rutherford yard expansion

Written by jrood

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded Pennsylvania Department of Transportation a $15 million grant to expand capacity at the freight processing facility in Rutherford, Pa., a project which has the potential to create nearly 4,000 direct and indirect jobs and reduce the number of trucks traveling on Pennsylvania's roadways.

“This project is a great boost for the economy of south central Pennsylvania,” said U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). “By reducing the number of long haul trucks on Pennsylvania’s roadways by 600,000 a year, this project will benefit not only the local economy, but drivers on interstates across the commonwealth as well.”

“With the demand to move freight in the U.S. expected to nearly double over the next 20 years, and in order to handle the additional volume, we need to add capacity at our Rutherford intermodal facility near Harrisburg, Pa., which already is operating at high capacity,” said Norfolk Southern CEO Wick Moorman.

Harrisburg’s freight market is expected to begin new services from Memphis, Birmingham and Charlotte in the next few years, dramatically increasing traffic. This project will ensure that the Rutherford facility is able to handle the increase and benefit from the added business.

The grant is available through DOT’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant program.

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