Oklahoma wins federal grant for rail improvement in western Oklahoma
Rail upgrade will serve booming energy exploration area in Anadarko Basin
The grant was one of 46 projects that won approval out of 848 applications submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“The overwhelming demand for these grants clearly shows that communities across the country can't afford to wait any longer for Congress to put Americans to work building the transportation projects that are critical to our economic future,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said.
David Streb, director of engineering at the state transportation department, said the money would be used to upgrade a state-owned rail line between Sayre and Elk City. The line is now frequently used to carry sand to Sayre for hydraulic fracturing jobs on wells in the Anadarko Basin area and to carry crude oil back from the wells.
The 49-mile segment now only allows for a few cars that can travel less than 10 miles per hour. The upgrade will allow for several more cars and speeds of up to 25 miles per hour, Streb said, making rail “a much more viable option'' and decreasing dependence on trucks.
The total project cost is $8.4 million, and the balance will be covered by the state and Farmrail, the regional railroad company.
The grant came from the third round of the federal TIGER program, and the state was a winner for the second time. In 2010, it won $49.4 million to build a bridge on Interstate 244 in Tulsa that can accommodate vehicle traffic, a commuter rail line and bicycle and pedestrian traffic.
Streb attributed the state's success to its proposals for intermodal transport rather than traditional road and bridge work.
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