Watkins and Little Falls Chosen For Rail Improvement Grants

Saint Cloud, MN, USA / KNSI

May 10, 2024 | 5:30 AM

Jen Longaecker Minnesota National Guard

(KNSI) – Two central Minnesota cities will benefit from freight rail service improvements.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation says $9.5 million is being disbursed statewide, which should support overall economic development. The projects selected include sites in Stearns County and Morrison County.

Louisiana-Pacific Corporation is slated to receive $1.5 million to install railcar offloading stations specializing in outdoor bulk storage and material handling in Watkins. The work was chosen from an overall pool of 19 applications.

Freight and Rail Programs Supervisor Kelly Christenson says, “The increased number of grant applications we received this year demonstrates the importance of improving the freight rail infrastructure across the state.”

The second regional project involves the City of Little Falls, which is getting $613,600 to rebuild the signal at a railroad crossing. Crews will add ADA-compliant pedestrian walkways and redo the spur line to improve safety.

MnDOT has been issuing Minnesota Rail Service Improvement Program grants since 1976.

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