Virginia approves construction of intermodal terminal

Virginia approves construction of intermodal terminal Virginia has authorized Norfolk Southern Corp. to begin construction of a $35.5 million intermodal terminal 18 miles west of Roanoke that will be part of the Heartland Corridor project.
   The state’s Department of Rail and Public Transportation said the railroad can begin construction at the Elliston site in Montgomery County with a goal of completing the project by 2010.
   The Heartland Corridor project is a multistate freight rail improvement project designed to create a more direct route and reduce transit time between the Hampton Roads ports and Chicago by a day and a half.
   A fact sheet from the state said an average of 87 short haul trucks are expected to use the Roanoke-area facility daily between 2010 and 2020. That number is expected to climb to 235 trucks per day after 2020. It said the facility will help reduce long-haul truck traffic moving through the state.
   After a two-year site selection process, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation concurred with the railroad in March that the 50-acre intermodal facility should be located in the village of Elliston. The state spent the past few months getting support of local officials after many citizens objected to the site decision.
   The next step is for Norfolk Southern and state officials to develop a budget and construction schedule, railroad spokesman Robin Chapman said. The public-private partnership agreement between the parties calls for the state to cover 70 percent of the project’s costs, with Norfolk Southern picking up the remainder. Final cost figures may be impacted by new decisions about relocating some roads and that may change the final cost share as well, Chapman said.