Cowlitz County, Washington To Receive Over Thirty Million Dollars Loan For Rail Corridor Expansion, Update You Need To Know Now

Published on September 26, 2025

Cowlitz County, Washington, is group to person a important boost successful proscription infrastructure pinch a $35.9 cardinal indebtedness for nan description of its Industrial Rail Corridor. This loan, announced by nan U.S. Department of Transportation, will play a pivotal domiciled successful expanding freight capacity and improving operational ratio astatine nan Port of Longview. By addressing existing congestion and enhancing nan obstruction system, nan description intends to streamline nan travel of goods, benefiting nan location economy. This task will not only bolster export capacity for captious commodities for illustration atom and timber but besides create caller commercialized opportunities. With a attraction connected information and economical growth, nan Rail Corridor description will thief guarantee that Cowlitz County remains a important hub successful nan world proviso chain. The improvements are expected to trim delays and amended connectivity, making nan region much competitory successful some home and world markets.

Build America Bureau Loan to Accelerate Rail Expansion

The $35.9 cardinal indebtedness is being issued done nan Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program, which is designed to facilitate low-interest, semipermanent loans for proscription infrastructure projects crossed nan United States. Secretary of Transportation, Sean P. Duffy, announced nan loan, noting that nan description would greatly use nan Port of Longview’s operational efficiency. Duffy emphasized nan project’s value successful bolstering nan region’s export capacity, enhancing information and stimulating nan agrarian economy, yet aiding nan proscription of cardinal commodities for illustration atom and timber.

As portion of this description project, nan Port’s Industrial Rail Corridor will beryllium updated to accommodate a larger measurement of freight traffic. This will thief nan Port support up pinch rising request while improving nan activity of equipment done nan region. The infrastructure enhancements are designed to destruct congestion successful nan existing two-track system, allowing for smoother and much businesslike train operations, which will yet trim delays and trim proscription costs.

Economic Impact and Long-Term Benefits

The description of nan obstruction infrastructure is expected to make sizeable economical benefits for nan region. The task is forecasted to support up to $2.8 cardinal successful yearly economical activity, pinch an estimated $66 cardinal successful yearly taxation revenues. These numbers bespeak nan nonstop effect nan description will person connected nan section and location economies, arsenic good arsenic nan broader commercialized opportunities it will create.

The task will besides amended nan Port’s expertise to pull backstage investment, which is basal for stimulating early economical growth. In summation to nan expected economical uplift, nan Port’s description will thief meet expanding request successful some home and world markets for cardinal equipment for illustration cultivation products and timber. The improvements to nan Port of Longview are captious for maintaining its domiciled arsenic a cardinal subordinate successful nan region’s freight web and ensuring its competitiveness successful nan world market.

TIFIA Program and Financing Details

The TIFIA program, which is overseen by nan Build America Bureau, offers loans pinch favorable position to eligible projects that tin show their worth successful position of nationalist use and financial viability. The Port of Longview’s description task is 1 specified inaugural and its action for a TIFIA indebtedness reflects nan project’s value successful addressing nan increasing proscription demands of nan region.

Secretary Duffy’s announcement besides highlighted caller improvements to nan TIFIA program. Under these revisions, borrowers are now capable to finance up to 49% of eligible task costs, which has made it easier for nationalist and backstage entities to unafraid backing for basal infrastructure projects. The description task astatine nan Port of Longview is expected to use from these programme changes, enabling nan Port to fast-track its infrastructure improvements and trim financing costs.

Furthermore, nan Port of Longview’s location successful a agrarian area has allowed it to return advantage of nan Rural Projects Initiative. This inaugural offers moreover much favorable financing position for projects successful agrarian regions, reducing nan liking complaint connected loans to half of nan already debased U.S. Treasury rate. This programme is designed to guarantee that agrarian infrastructure projects person nan financial support needed to support up pinch nan improvement demands of increasing regions.

Phase 1 of nan Expansion: Key Infrastructure Improvements

Phase 1 of nan Port of Longview’s Industrial Rail Corridor Expansion will impact respective captious infrastructure upgrades. Existing tracks will beryllium extended and six caller 8,500-foot tracks will beryllium constructed to accommodate accrued freight traffic. Additionally, a caller six-track embankment will beryllium built to let for early description arsenic nan Port continues to grow.

In summation to nan obstruction infrastructure improvements, nan task will see nan improvement of caller unit entree roads and different supporting infrastructure, which will heighten information crossed nan site. These upgrades are basal for keeping nan Port’s operations moving smoothly and for ensuring that nan installation is equipped to grip expanding volumes of freight successful nan coming years.

The improvements will besides supply support for nan redevelopment of nan historical Berth 4 Grain Complex, a early task planned by nan Port. This revitalization effort will further heighten nan Port’s capacity to grip exports and amended its wide operations, ensuring nan installation remains competitory successful nan world proviso chain.

The Port’s Role successful Regional and Global Trade

Operating since 1921, nan Port of Longview has agelong been a important portion of Washington State’s proscription infrastructure. Located connected nan Columbia River, conscionable 66 miles from nan Pacific Ocean, nan Port handles a important measurement of freight and provides nonstop connections to awesome obstruction services operated by Burlington Northern and Santa Fe (BNSF) and Union Pacific (UP) Railroads. The Industrial Rail Corridor, which was completed successful 2004, has already played a cardinal domiciled successful facilitating nan Port’s operations and its description will further heighten nan Port’s expertise to service nan region’s increasing proscription needs.

With 8 marine terminals and 835 acres of waterfront business property, nan Port of Longview is well-positioned to proceed serving arsenic a captious hub for freight transportation, some domestically and internationally. As nan Port’s obstruction infrastructure continues to grow, it will stay an integral portion of nan region’s economy, providing important entree to markets astir nan world.

Conclusion: A Strategic Investment for nan Future

The $35.9 cardinal TIFIA indebtedness to nan Port of Longview represents a important measurement successful expanding nan region’s obstruction infrastructure. The project’s attraction connected enhancing freight capacity, improving information and fostering economical maturation will use not only nan Port of Longview but nan surrounding communities and nan broader economy. With its projected economical effect and nan imaginable for accrued backstage investment, this description task is poised to fortify nan Port’s domiciled successful some location and world waste and acquisition for years to come.