U.S. Department of Transportation Releases Project Selection for TIGER Grants

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Last month, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released its official project selections for the seventh round of the TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Discretionary Grant program. TIGER allows the DOT to invest in capital investments in either the planning or construction phases for surface transportation infrastructure projects nationwide that will advance key transportation goals. Industrial Info is tracking more than $230 million in capital investments for rail, port and select transit projects for multiple 2015 TIGER grant recipients.

For 2015, the DOT will provide $500 million toward 39 transportation projects in 34 states, many multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional. The DOT received more than 600 qualified applications (following 965 pre-applications) for the coveted grant, requesting more than $10 billion. However, it only had $500 million allocated in the program's funding this year.

The projects chosen were from the maritime, road, transit, pedestrian and rail (both freight and passenger) sectors. The biggest winner was rail, with $70 million for freight rail projects, about $50 million for passenger rail, $45 million for rail transit projects, and $32 million for maritime/port projects having rail as a major component.

One recipient of the grant program this year is the City of Tacoma, Washington, in collaboration with the Federal Transit Administration and Sound Transit (Seattle, Washington) for their joint investment on the Tacoma Link Expansion project. This proposed project will extend the light rail line from downtown Tacoma to its Stadium and Hilltop business districts. It entails adding 2.4 miles of new track to the current 1.6 mile streetcar line, constructing six new stations as well as relocating an existing one, and expanding existing operations and a maintenance facility. The total estimated cost of the entire project is $165 million, but the current grant award was $15 million.

The project is currently wrapping up preliminary engineering. It then will move to the final design stage, where a work-specific construction plan will be developed to establish the construction schedule. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2017 and should last approximately three years.

Another recipient this year, the Port of Newport, received the whole $2 million it requested for its $6.5 million International Terminal Shipping Facility project. The grant will help the port construct a new 9-acre international deep water marine terminal with intermodal access. Currently, the Port is awaiting final permits and capital approval. Construction is slated for the spring of 2016, with operations to begin by the end of the year.