$23.3 Million To Fix Up Railroad Through Battle Creek

The federal government has given several million dollars to help fix up the railroad between Kalamazoo and Dearborn, which runs through Battle Creek.

The US Department of Transportation announced several “State of Good Repair” program grants across the country, including $23.3 million to the Michigan Department of Transportation; the money will replace approximately 80,000 railroad ties east of Battle Creek, 15 miles of rail east of Jackson, and two railroad bridges in the City of Jackson.

The bridges being replaced are at Jackson St. and Mechanic St. According to the proposed project, "the current structures [on the bridges] rely on temporary shoring and have sub-standard vertical clearances, resulting in frequent bridge strikes by highway vehicles."

The goal of the repairs is to make sure the trains can maintain speeds up to 110 mph, and to reduce the amount of vehicles on the highway that strike the railroad bridges. As well, the project will improve rail safety for Amtrak's Wolverine service, which carries around 500,000 passengers each year.