Thursday, September 30, 2004 (Washington, DC) The city of Springfield, MO today received a $795,280 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to examine re-routing rail traffic and building new highway-rail grade separations.

The grant funds the Railroad Reconfiguration Study, which will develop possible alternate routes for Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Union Pacific and Missouri Northern Arkansas trains. It is anticipated that re-routing rail traffic will benefit economic revitalization in Springfield’s center city and in the Jordan Valley Park neighborhood.

The grant also funds the Citywide Grade Separation Study, which will study the creation of highway-rail grade separations at Division Street, Chestnut Expressway and James River Freeway. Separating highway and rail traffic will improve safety at these locations, which have seen highway congestion grow with increased train traffic in recent years.

“These studies will help provide Springfield with more economic opportunities while reducing traffic delays caused by trains,” said Acting FRA Administrator Betty Monro.

This grant is being made under the FRA Next Generation High-Speed Rail Program.