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What
is Bridging the Valley?
Bridging the Valley (BTV) is a series of projects that will separate vehicle traffic
from train traffic in the 42 mile corridor between Spokane, Washington and Athol, Idaho. The separation of railroad and roadway
grades in this corridor—which currently includes 75 railroad/roadway crossings—will promote future economic growth, traffic mobility, traffic
safety, and train whistle noise abatement. The BTV projects includes constructing road overpasses or underpasses at most existing railroad/
roadway crossings on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) corridor, as well as relocating the existing Union Pacific (UPRR) mainline between
Spokane and Athol to an alignment within BNSF’s mainline corridor, thus eliminating all mainline at-grade crossings on the UPRR line.
Due to the current economic condition and the fact that the transportation funding bill hasn’t been reauthorized, there has been a delay in constructing BTV projects. The lack of available funding sources means that only one BTV project so far has been funded; the Havana Street Bridge project. It is currently under construction. The City of Spokane will reconstruct Havana Street to bridge over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) tracks. This will allow for free movement of vehicles, reduce congestion and draw traffic from nearby Freya and Fancher streets to improve overall traffic flow in the area.
There is a small amount of money allocated to BTV projects however. The Barker Road project has received $1 million in earmarks and there is $5 million in federal funding available to put toward a BTV project in Idaho. Those projects have not been started yet as that money will only fund a small portion of each project.
What will the projects
accomplish?
What are the proposed
improvements?
What is the timeline?
How are
environmental concerns being addressed?
Where is the project located?
Who
is conducting the project and how can additional information be obtained?
What
will the project accomplish? top
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By removing all at-grade rail crossings, Bridging the Valley will:
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Improve public safety by reducing rail/vehicle collisions;
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Improve emergency access to residents and businesses along the
corridor;
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Eliminate waiting times for cars and trucks at rail crossings;
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Reduce noise levels—no more train whistles near crossings;
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Improve traffic flow due to separated grade crossings; and
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Enhance development opportunities with a single rail corridor served
by the region’s largest railroads.
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At the completion of the BTV projects, the rail corridor between Spokane and Athol will be fully grade separated and there will be no at-grade crossings on the
BNSF mainline. UPRR's existing Spokane Yard between Havana and Fancher will be closed,
and UPRR traffic will move on the BNSF corridor. The UPRR mainline track needed to maintain service to existing customers will be
reclassified to industry track from mainline track.
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What are the proposed
improvements? top
THE PROJECT WILL:
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Construct approximately 19 separated grade crossings within the BNSF corridor. This will modify
eight existing
crossings and create approximately 11 additional grade separated crossings.
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Construct additional track capacity on the BNSF corridor
between Spokane and Athol, which today consists of both single and double mainline track. This area will be
expanded by generally adding one track — with occasional need for two additional tracks in some locations
— to the existing mainline within the railroad right of way;
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Install improvements to the existing Centralized Train
Control signaling system;
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Construct a new two-track bridge over the Spokane River;
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Construct a new UPRR Yard;
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Provide other track improvements in yards and connections; and
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Remove a majority of the UPRR mainline and the associated crossings.
What is the
Timeline? top
 Construction began on the first BTV project, the Havana Street Bridge, in spring of 2010. Due to a lack of funding, construction on other BTV projects will not start for at least another year or two.
Upon completion of the entire series of BTV projects, Union Pacific Rail Road (UPRR) will move its train traffic onto the BNSF corridor to operate between Napa Street and Athol. Service on the UPRR mainline paralleling the corridor will then cease and only the portions of that line required to serve existing customers will be retained.
How are
environmental concerns being addressed? top
The BTV project construction will take place within an existing railroad mainline corridor. As
the project moves through the engineering and environmental process, the project team will determine what permits
and approvals are required, the appropriate level of environmental analysis, whether the project would adversely
affect any threatened or endangered species, the aquifer, or wetlands along the route, and the answers to any other
important environmental questions.
Where is the project located? top
The project extends from Spokane, Washington to Athol, Idaho – view the
project map.
Who
is conducting the project and how can additional information be obtained?
top
The Spokane Regional Transportation Council (SRTC) is partnering with agencies such as the Washington State Department of Transportation, the City of Spokane, BNSF, UPRR, and several others, to construct the BTV projects. For general information on the projects, or to be added to the project mailing list, contact SRTC at:
Project Management:
Glenn F. Miles
Spokane Regional Transportation Council
221 W. First Ave., Suite 310
Spokane, WA 99201-3613
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