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8/24/2017 Groundbreaking held for Glacier Rail Park http://www.rtands.com/index.php/freight/yardsterminals/groundbreakingheldforglacierrailpark.html 1/2 Subscribe Digital Edition Follow us: Renew/Update Advertising Tweet Share City of Kalispell Tweet Wednesday, August 23, 2017 Groundbreaking held for Glacier Rail Park Written by Mischa WanekLibman, editor Federal, state and local dignitaries kicked off construction of the Glacier Rail Park in Kalispell, Mont., Aug. 22. The rail park is part of the larger $21 million Kalispell Core & Rail Development Project, which aims to revitalize Kalispell's city center by building an industrial park for rail served businesses and removing railroad tracks that dissected the town. Stakeholders say the project will improve overall traffic flow, walkability and bikeability of Kalispell, which will contribute to economic development of the western Montana community. The multimodal facility will include new rail and road infrastructure with every lot equipped with onsite rail, wastewater management, municipal water and utilities. Additionally, rail to the tenant's buildings can be custom built. Following the rail park's construction and rail line relocation, tracks will be removed from downtown Kalispell and replaced with a trail The project was a recipient of a 2015 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant. In the U.S. Department of Transportation's fact sheet on grant award winners it wrote the following on the project: Developed with extensive stakeholder input and comprehensive planning, this project will eliminate a barrier to transportation in the downtown area and create a new multimodal facility, providing greater mobility for bicyclists and pedestrians throughout downtown Kalispell. These improvements will reduce truck traffic and eliminate an existing barrier to emergency services that occurs when trains block atgrade rail crossings in the city. Additionally, the risk of collisions between vehicles and nonmotorized travelers will be greatly reduced. The relocation of the rail infrastructure to Glacier Rail Park will maintain local freight access to the national rail network while improving quality of life in downtown Kalispell. City of Kalispell Mayor Mark Johnson called the groundbreaking ceremony a "truly transformative moment" noting that the project went through three rounds of TIGER grant applications, a process that tested stakeholders faith, but the successful awarding of the grant made the project possible. U.S. Sen. John Tester (DMont.) said in his address at the groundbreaking ceremony that he is committed to finding a bipartisan solution to preserve TIGER funding, noting that the expenditures made possible through TIGER drive economic growth. Related Articles Amtrak’s NY Penn Station renewal work on schedule NCRR invests in infrastructure to bring business to NC PHMSA awards Short Line Safety Institute grant Like Share Share Like 6 people like this. Sign Up to see what your friends like. Subscribe Get the latest rail news The inside scoop from RT&S, IRJ and Railway Age on and off the track. Join our email list. Email address Rail Resources More Rail Resources News Freight Intermodal Passenger C&S Track Structure Track Maintenance Track Machinery Safety / Training Track Buyers Guide Newsletters Job Board EOI/RFP/RFQ Industry Links Industry Events Classifieds Books & Training search... ---PAGE BREAK--- 8/24/2017 Groundbreaking held for Glacier Rail Park http://www.rtands.com/index.php/freight/yardsterminals/groundbreakingheldforglacierrailpark.html 2/2 Rep. Walz tours Miller Ingenuity, discusses rail safety MBTA kicks off Ruggles Station improvement project back to top Copyright © 2017 SimmonsBoardman Publishing Inc. Scroll To Top SimmonsBoardman Publishing Railway Age Magazine International Railway Journal The Railway Educational Bureau SimmonsBoardman Books Marine Log Magazine Banking Exchange Sign Builder Illustrated Bar Business Magazine Home Contact Us Advertising About Us