The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently awarded the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) a $23.7 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grant.
TDOT will use the funding to upgrade or replace 42 rail bridges on 10 short lines in 12, mostly rural, counties. The bridges, most of which are old timber structures, are past their intended lifespan and need immediate repair or replacement.
“Short-lines are critically important components of Tennessee’s multimodal transportation network and to rural economies,” TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley said. “Rehabilitation of the rail bridge infrastructure will lead to economic gains in the communities they serve with jobs, improved and expanded operations, and enhance supply chain efficiency and safety as it keeps large, heavy cargo and hazardous commodities off our highways.”
The bridges are in Cumberland, Davidson, Dyer, Gibson, Knox, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Obion, Putnam, Roane, and Smith counties.
TDOT received $85 million in 2021 from the state legislature and Gov. Bill Lee to address the infrastructure needs of the state’s short-line program. This investment allowed TDOT to secure the CRISI grant.
TDOT will manage the grant award by collaborating with rural communities, rail authorities, rail operators, and industries to fund and complete the bridge bundle project.