CSX, State of Ohio Dedicate Niles Fifth Street Bridge
NILES, Ohio – July 13, 2012 – CSX Corporation (NYSE: CSX) today hosted a dedication ceremony for the new Fifth Street Bridge in Niles, Ohio. The upgraded bridge’s higher vertical clearance helps clear the way for CSX’s upgraded, double-stack freight rail corridor linking East Coast sea ports with the CSX Northwest Ohio Terminal and other Midwest distribution and manufacturing hubs.
The $1.4 million composite steel bridge was paid for through a combination of funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and CSX. It is one of the first fully completed clearance projects in Ohio being undertaken as part of the National Gateway, an approximately $850 million infrastructure public-private partnership.
“The Fifth Street Bridge is a perfect example of local economic growth driven by private and public investment in our nation’s infrastructure,” said Mayor Ralph Infante, Jr. of Niles, Ohio. “This new, modern bridge is a welcome addition to our community and an exciting symbol of the future of the American freight transportation investments needed to keep communities such as ours positioned to compete domestically and internationally.”
The bridge is one of a number of clearances that will allow double-stack freight rail access to CSX’s new Northwest Ohio Terminal, a 185-acre world-class freight distribution hub and the nerve center of CSX’s nationwide intermodal network. Located near North Baltimore, Ohio, the new facility employs more than 200 full-time employees and serves as the transfer point for hundreds of thousands of freight containers annually.
“We are pleased to recognize the continued progress of the National Gateway,” said Louis Renjel, vice president of strategic infrastructure initiatives, CSX. “Along with other planned investments, the new Fifth Street Bridge will help prepare CSX and the state of Ohio to meet increasing freight transportation demands and to enhance the flow of goods throughout the nation.”
National Gateway improvement projects will increase the vertical clearances at 61 locations on CSX rail lines in the region to accommodate intermodal trains carrying double-stack intermodal containers. To-date, 14 locations including the Fifth Street Bridge have been cleared on the existing CSX rail corridor between North Baltimore, Ohio and Chambersburg, Pa., keeping Phase One of the project on track for Spring 2013 completion. One of the nation’s largest transportation projects, the National Gateway will create more than 50,000 jobs over a 30 year period by increasing the amount of freight that can be transported on a single train. When completed, the National Gateway will provide more than $10 billion in public benefits in the route's first 30 years of operations by decreasing fuel consumption, lowering emissions, improving safety, reducing highway maintenance costs and saving shipping costs.
To learn more about the National Gateway, visit www.nationalgateway.org.
About CSX
CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is one of the nation’s leading transportation companies, providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services. CSX’s network spans approximately 21,000 miles, with service to 23 eastern states, the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces. CSX’s network connects more than 240 short line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river, and lake ports. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at www.csx.com. Like us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/OfficialCSX) and follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/CSX).