COOS BAY, Ore. — The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay will receive a $25 million federal grant for its intermodal project, the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port, the port has announced.
The grant, from the Department of Transportation’s INFRA (Infrastructure for Rebuilding America) program, will go toward environmental compliance and permitting, as well as design and engineering work.
“The INFRA grant is a game-changer for the Port of Coos Bay and the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port Project,” Melissa Cribbins, executive director of the intermodal project, said in a press release. “…This federal grant is a watershed moment for the region and adds the federal government to the growing list of critical supporters for one of the most impactful rural economic development projects in state history.”
The intermodal project, described in more detail here, will include dredging of the Coos Bay Federal Navigation Channel to allow larger container ships to visit the port; a new rail-served intermodal terminal with a projected capacity of 2 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units, the standard measure of container volume), and significant upgrades to the Coos Bay Rail Line, the 134-mile route interchanging with the Union Pacific near Eugene, Ore.
The port has twice made bids for Department of Transportation Mega Grants which would help fund significant improvements to the rail line, including increasing tunnel clearance, new sidings, and other bridge and track work [see “Port of Coos Bay seeks Mega Grant …,” News Wire, Aug. 27, 2023].
