West Virginia railways receive spike in federal funding

In a bipartisan push to enhance West Virginia’s transportation infrastructure, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced more than $29 million in federal grants to modernize and rehabilitate rail lines throughout the state.

Of those grants, $6.9 million have been allocated to Belpre Industrial Parkersburg Railroad for design and construction activities of two bridges in Parkersburg and Devola.

The funding is made possible through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). These grants will bolster two major projects that aim to improve rail safety, efficiency, and resiliency.

“Maintaining and ensuring safe railways is an essential part of our state’s infrastructure, which is why I worked to secure this funding,” said Capito, R-W.Va. “These grants will enable us to modernize our railways and bridges, preparing our state for future economic growth.”

“The funding announced today is a great investment in further connecting West Virginia communities, and I am confident that it will bring more visitors to our great state and spur substantial economic development,” said Manchin, I-W.Va.

According to Belpre Industrial Parkersburg Railroad Vice President, Matt McLaughlin, two local bridges will receive maintenance work: the Sixth Street Railroad Bridge, which spans from Parkersburg over to Belpre, and a bridge near the Devola Run Dam.

The Sixth Street Railroad Bridge, which initially opened in 1871 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a key component of this region’s rail infrastructure. The bridge, which spans the river and relies on structural pylons with wooden decking atop metal beams, has had intermittent repairs and updates over the years.

The bridge is an essential artery for transporting materials into Ohio, supporting about 90% of the traffic along the line, which runs from Beverly to Belpre. This passage is fundamental to interstate commerce, facilitating five to seven weekly trips.

Currently, the company is working through the preliminary process for construction with approximately 30% of that work completed which McLaughlin said is primarily the designs. McLaughlin said that the tentative start date for the construction project will be in late 2025.