Rail-Truck Transload Facility Project

The Spokane International Airport is requesting $11.9 million to contribute to the total cost of $16.9 million to complete Phase 2 of the Rail-Truck Transload Facility Project. The Rail-Truck Transload Facility would provide more efficient freight movement, aid in decongesting the interstate system, enhance economic competitiveness, support contiguous land use intensification, and strengthen local employment opportunities. The Rail-Truck Transload Facility Project is a rural project located outside the Urbanized Area as designated by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Growth of the industrial and commercial sectors in the area have led to increased demand for a larger transportation and logistics network. The Rail-Truck Transload Facility Project will address this need by serving as an international, multimodal system that would improve freight capacity and reduce costs and truck freight traffic on the increasingly congested Interstate 90. The strategic facility placement in the West Plains area adjacent to the interstate, a Class 1 rail line and Spokane International Airport, as well as existing and future industrial and manufacturing companies, would allow the Rail-Truck Transload Facility to play a significant role in enhancing the economic development of the region.