The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) has secured a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grant to expand freight capacity.
The Rebuilding America Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant would address the state’s Freight Capacity Expansion Project with Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad (RCP&E) via Pennington, Haakon, and Stanley counties.
“South Dakota is focused on critical infrastructure to drive future growth and economic development, and this project will do that for all of western South Dakota,” said Gov. Kristi Noem said. “Together with the $20 million appropriated by the state to this project, this funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation will support a project that will benefit South Dakota for generations.”
For the last seven years, RCP&E has invested in its infrastructure to better serve South Dakota and Wyoming, officials indicated, adding the company has earmarked more than $52 million for maintenance work while devoting over $68 million in track and bridge capital improvements.
“The project directly restores a critical transportation asset to conditions that allow for industry standard fully loaded 286,000-pound rail cars at speeds up to 25 miles-per-hour,” South Dakota Secretary of Transportation Joel Jundt said. “This improvement will result in reduced maintenance costs and increase the productivity of the rail line, benefiting the railroad and the variety of commodity shippers who use it.”
Jundt said the project would reduce the risk of derailments and bridge failure while bolstering safety.
“The project is also expected to result in reductions in emissions due to more efficient operation and the possibility of attracting more freight to travel by rail, improving environmental sustainability,” he said.