Rail Realignment Task Force Holding Open House in Leland Monday, Feb. 20

By Frank Williams | February 20, 2017 | Comments Off on Rail Realignment Task Force Holding Open House in Leland Monday, Feb. 20

The Mayor’s Task Force on Rail Realignment will host two upcoming public open houses to discuss and receive input as part of the feasibility study for a potential realignment of a CSX rail line that currently runs through Wilmington to a new path that could include a small portion of Brunswick County.

The dates and locations for these open houses are below:
  • Monday, February 20 at Leland Town Hall, 102 Town Hall Drive in Leland; 5-7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, February 22 at Wilmington City Hall, 102 South 3rd Street in Wilmington; 5-7 p.m.
 
The open houses will be a drop-in format.

What Is the Mayor’s Task Force on Rail Realignment?

A feasibility study is currently underway to explore the possibility of realigning the existing heavy rail corridor that currently runs through the City of Wilmington, which crosses numerous streets and traverses residential neighborhoods, to a safer, more direct route into and out of the Port of Wilmington.  The projected growth of the Port of Wilmington will increase truck as well as rail traffic in and around the City of Wilmington.  The City of Wilmington, along with a partnership with the NCDOT and the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, is promoting the effort to study this opportunity.

What Are the Potential Benefits to Southeastern North Carolina?

This project has the potential to transform the region’s transportation and quality of life while being part of a potential private enterprise that serves the freight industry.

The potential benefits include:

  • more direct access to the Port of Wilmington;
  • access to freight rail by manufacturing and industrial development along the Highway 421 corridor and Pender County;
  • opening up of a public use right-of-way that could create a public transit system base for future transit between New Hanover and Brunswick counties, as well as throughout the heart of Wilmington;
  • creation of a greenway in the heart of Wilmington that would connect to other regional greenways; and
  • improved air quality for the region’s future.

Has a Route Been Selected, and Who Will Pay for the Project?
A feasibility study is currently underway, and decisions on routing and funding will only be addressed once the study is complete.

When Will, The Study Be Complete?

The Feasibility Study is currently ongoing and will provide more detailed information on cost and benefits in March of 2017.

Want More Information?

Further information is available on the City of Wilmington’s website: http://www.wilmingtonnc.gov/rail,  or by contacting the chair of the Wilmington Mayor’s Task Force on Rail Realignment, Laura Padgett at Laura.lwpadgett@gmail.com or 910-262-4025.

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