The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) recently completed its first Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) Grant project.
Work included upgrades along 138 miles of the Heart of Georgia Railroad from Vidalia to Preston. The railroad travels east‐west between Preston and Vidalia, then travels north to Midville.
The 138‐mile section supports approximately 1,000 jobs and is used to carry agricultural, forestry, intermodal, and manufacturing products between central Georgia and the Port of Savannah.
“These Georgia DOT owned short line railroads provide first and last mile service transporting Georgia products from customer facilities to locations across the nation,” Joanna Campbell, Georgia DOT’s Division of Intermodal assistant director, said. “CRISI Grants enable us to increase the capacity and the speed of these lines so they can provide more consistent, dependable service for manufacturers and producers in Georgia.”
The federal CRISI Grants provide funding for states to complete rail projects that modernize rail infrastructure, strengthen supply chains and move people and goods more efficiently and affordably.
There are seven CRISI Grant funded projects underway in Georgia.
In 2018, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded $2 million in CRISI funding for track and rail bridge upgrades. Georgia DOT contributed an additional $2 million in bond funds.