Tacoma completes two rail projects

Tacoma completes two rail projects    The Port of Tacoma said Wednesday it has completed two important rail projects in the Tacoma Tideflats.
   The $10.5 million project increases rail throughput velocity at two key access points for port terminals: Bullfrog Junction and Chilcote Junction.
   'These two rail projects increase the efficiency of access to the Port rail system and will have a direct impact on the flow of the cargo movement through the port, saving both time and money for our business partners and customers,' said Jeannie Beckett, senior director of intermodal transportation, in a statement.
   Bullfrog Junction is located at a critical intersection between the Tideflats and the two mainline railroads serving Tideflats customers. The recently completed project added track and reconfigured the intersection, adding system redundancy and capacity while improving safety, the port said.
   Chilcote Junction is at the intersect point beneath the SR-509 overpass and Port of Tacoma Road, where all rail traffic from Washington United Terminals, Pierce County Terminal and Tacoma Rail converge.
   'By reconfiguring this juncture, we have increased rail system redundancy to allow multiple trains to move to and from the terminals at the same time,' Beckett said.
   Construction on the projects began in February.