Fort Worth gets long-sought funds to unclog rail intersection
Written by jrood
February 14, 2001 After years of fits and starts, the U.S. Transportation Department awarded Fort Worth, Texas, a $34 million grant Friday to upgrade the Tower 55 rail intersection near downtown, the Star Telegram reports. Tower 55 is one of the most congested rail intersections in the country. Fort Worth officials had been pushing for years to secure the funding to construct a new north-south rail line there.
"With this
transportation grant, Fort Worth will finally see completion of this critical infrastructure
safety project," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas. "This will
also help create good local jobs as the final stages of the Tower are being
completed."
The intersection now has
two rail lines running east-west and two running north-south. About 112 trains
pass through each day, more than the intersection can easily handle. Trains are
often queued up on side tracks across Tarrant County, their diesel engines
idling, while waiting to go through. Supporters have argued that a third
north-south line will reduce diesel emissions, speed up traffic on area roads
and make railroad crossings safer.
The federal award comes
just short of the $38 million that the Texas Department of Transportation had
requested in its application, according to city officials.
Supporters say fixing
Tower 55’s congestion is a critical first step before the commuter rail system
can be expanded.
"Right now, all of
our commuter rail is planned on existing track, so getting rid of this
bottleneck opens up some possibilities for commuter rail that we just currently
don’t have," City Manager Dale Fisseler said.
Officials with BNSF and
Union Pacific hailed the announcement as significant progress. Matthew Rose,
CEO of Fort Worth-based BNSF, called the project a "monumental
infrastructure upgrade."
"We are proud to be
headquartered here in Fort Worth where such extensive community involvement and
collaboration makes these types of projects possible," Rose said.
"Improvements to Tower 55 will make this vital rail intersection safer for
pedestrians, more efficient for shippers, and more convenient for
commuters."
Raquel Espinoza, a
spokeswoman for Union Pacific, said, "it is promising news for North
Texas. This public/private partnership will help increase safety and help us
operate more efficiently."
