Wilson Announces Grant over $1 Million for High-Speed Rail Crossings in Columbia

Today, U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson announced that the South Carolina Department of Transportation will receive $1,043,800 from the Federal Highway Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation. The funds are to be used to upgrade three grade crossings along the high-speed rail corridor at Assembly Street, Whaley Street and Rosewood Drive in Columbia, S.C. This is the fourth grant to South Carolina under this program."These funds will help increase the safety of our roads in Columbia," said Congressman Joe Wilson. "Rail crossings present special concerns for drivers, and this grant will help us to eliminate some of the hazards presented at these intersections. I want to especially thank Commissioner John Hardee for his dedication to the safety of South Carolina's families."Previously, between fiscal years 1999-2003 South Carolina had received $1,446,750 to develop the action plan for upgrading and consolidating all crossings in South Carolina's newly designated high-speed rail corridors ($150,000), to upgrade six crossings with lights and gates and realign the geometry at one crossing to improve the approach in Richland County, and to upgrade five crossings in Oconee, Kershaw and Pickens Counties. The study was completed in February 2001. These projects are now in design and cost estimating. No funds were allocated in fiscal years 2000 or 2001. The Southeast Corridor was originally designated as one of five high-speed corridors under Section 1010 of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). This program was extended by Section 1103(c) of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). The Southeast Corridor was extended from Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina through South Carolina to Atlanta and Macon, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida in December 1998. As a result it is eligible for funding from the Highway Trust Fund to eliminate hazards at highway-rail grade crossings in the corridor. The Federal Railroad Administration and Federal Highway Administration make funding decisions and project approvals jointly. ###