The Federal Railroad Administration has announced a $2.7 million grant to the City of Davenport for riverfront rail safety improvements.
The funding through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Grant Program will help implement railroad safety upgrades along Davenport’s riverfront corridor, the city said in a news release.
The CRISI program provides funding for capital projects that improve passenger and freight rail transportation systems in terms of safety, efficiency or reliability.
Davenport upgrades are expected to include: installing lights, gates, medians, signage and fencing at rail crossings along the riverfront between Marquette and Mound streets to improve vehicle and pedestrian safety.
Upon completion, the City of Davenport said it plans to work with the Federal Railroad Administration, Canadian Pacific and the Iowa Department of Transportation to establish a quiet zone, reducing noise pollution and increasing the quality of life for the residents and visitors of Davenport.
Those improvements will come as Davenport and other Quad Cities municipalities brace for the tripling of train traffic on their riverfronts as a result of a $31.6 billion merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads. After a lengthy fight and negotiations with riverfront communities, federal regulators with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board OK’d the merger on March 15.
“We are excited for this announcement and for the upcoming partnerships that will result in a huge improvement for our community,” said Davenport Assistant Public Works Director, Clay Merritt.
“The city appreciates the support from Canadian Pacific, state and federal agencies making this grant application successful.”
The total project is estimated at $3.4 million.
In December, the city in partnership with the Figge Art Museum also announced that Davenport had been been selected for $9.6 million in grant funding through the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s (IEDA) Destination Iowa Creative Placemaking Fund for a series of signature projects along the riverfront.
