FINAL INSPECTION OF FIRST PHASE OF PORT RAIL SPUR SET THIS WEEK

SCOTT CITY - A final inspection of the first phase of construction of a railroad spur into the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority is planned for this week.

Work on the first phase was started June 8, 1991, and should be wrapped up by the end of this week, Port Executive Director Allan Maki said Wednesday.

C.W.R. Construction Co. of Little Rock handled the $1.5 million project for the 8,800-foot rail spur. The second phase, which will take about 60 days to complete, will involve laying of the rail and installing crossings and signals for the railroad.

The second phase also includes putting in about two feet of rock to put the ties and rail on.

Maki stressed that having rail access to the port, combined with the planned extension of Nash Road into the port, will give SEMO Port Authority the kind of intermodalism that is essential for moving goods in an efficient way.

The final inspection for the first phase was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon but had to be delayed until Friday because of rain. The inspection will be conducted by Maki, representatives of the Bowen and Lawson engineering firm, and port commissioners Fred Surman, W.K. Dillon and Irvin Garms, who serve on the construction committee.

"We are very pleased to have this first phase finished and look forward to moving on to completion of the rail," said Maki.

"We now have an 8,800-foot railroad embankment with the dirt under it meeting very strict compaction requirements so it can stand the load of trains going over it," said Maki.

He pointed out that the maximum grade for the railroad is 1.5 percent.

Work on the first phase also included the seeding and mulching of 63 acres of ground around the harbor, which will open up 40 acres of new flood-free industrial sites.

Nine culverts ranging in size up to 102 inches in diameter were also installed. The initial phase also included extending the port access road with an all-weather road running toward the point of the slackwater harbor.

Construction of the second phase is contingent upon approval of a grant from the federal Economic Development Administration. Last May the port authority applied for a $1.2 million grant to cover the second phase of the railroad and several other projects.

All projects funded with EDA funds require a 40 percent local match.

"Within 30 days of a grant commitment we will be able to award a contract for Phase II," said Maki. "If we can get a go on the grant soon, it is still possible to get the track in this year."

Besides completing the railroad, the grant funds would also be applied toward purchase of a branch railroad line to connect with the spur; for extending the spur to industrial sites and developing an interchange track; completing and extending the water system; and for the purchase of a 200-ton lift-capacity crane for the public dock.

Any additional funds could be used for infrastructure improvements.

Maki stressed that grants have been important to the port over the years because it provides an opportunity to leverage local funds so they go further.