Port of Tampa, county, plan rail improvement

Port of Tampa, county, plan rail improvement    The Port of Tampa and Hillsborough County have approved an interlocal agreement to jointly fund half of a $950,000 upgrade of rail and road infrastructure improvements in the Pendola Point area of the port.
   The state will also pay half in a state/local infrastructure improvement grant.
   There is 5,000 feet of rail track at Pendola Point, located adjacent to the Port Sutton area, across a channel from the Hooker's Point container terminal. There are at-grade rail crossings in and out of Pendola Point, and the road system feeds directly into U.S. Highway 41. The improvement project would cover reconstruction expected to ease current and projected traffic congestion.
   The port generates more than 12,000 truck movements and 11,000 automobile or light truck movements a day. Port officials expect to see traffic grow to 17,000 truck moves and 14,000 lighter vehicle moves by 2010, prompting needs to improve traffic flows and reduce congestion.
   Local funding for the Pendola Point improvements has already been approved, and the state legislature approved the additional funding as part of the County Incentive Grant Program administered by the Florida Department of Transportation.