Wilmington transportation

[Merthecat]

Wilmington and New Hanover County leaders discussing a 1/4 cent sales tax to fund WAVE Transit and other transportation needs:

https://www.wect.com/2021/04/27/city-county-leaders-discuss-possible-quarter-cent-tax-help-fund-wave-transit/

[kermit]

The alternatives analysis report for the CSX rail relocation is out. They are down to three, very similar routings. All run down Eagle Island, just to the west of 74/421, and all cross the Cape Fear on a new bridge just South of Memorial Bridge. No big surprises here.

The public comment period runs to late July. After that the EIS can be completed and then the city can apply for federal funding.

This is a very important project for both the city and port. The existing rail route is slowww, creates congestion for drivers and makes the port much less competitive than its neighbors. Given the combination of problems solved by this reroute, the project should be competitive for federal and state funding. Project documents do say the city plans to repurpose the current CSX tracks in town to ‘public use’

https://wrr.nepa.ai

 

[kermit]

I would think the new bridge / CSX reroute project would do well in the Infrastructure bill cash competition. The main stumbling block to worry about is the state’s ability to come up with matching funds.

I also think that the passenger rail money from the bill should make Raleigh-Wilmington service a lock. Perhaps within 5 years?

[rancenc]

Not in Wilmington, but about an hour north in Jacksonville with money allocated to improve the Albert Ellis Airport in that city.

https://www.jdnews.com/story/news/2021/11/22/albert-j-ellis-airport-expansion-could-bring-jobs-businesses/8717728002/

[Merthecat]

The City of Wilmington has endorsed one route alternative for the rail relocation project:

https://portcitydaily.com/local-news/2021/11/23/new-route-pinned-for-wilmington-rail-realignment-only-crosses-1-road-instead-of-30-plus/

[KJHburg]

17 hours ago, Merthecat said:

The City of Wilmington has endorsed one route alternative for the rail relocation project:

https://portcitydaily.com/local-news/2021/11/23/new-route-pinned-for-wilmington-rail-realignment-only-crosses-1-road-instead-of-30-plus/

Yes instead of 30 road crossings only 1 this is much needed.   The state still needs to start planning for the bridge replacement and its widening. 

[rancenc]

Good news on traffic at Wilmington International Airport

http://www.wilmingtonbiz.com/more_news/2021/12/13/passenger_trends_on_par_with_pre-covid_numbers_at_ilm /22645?utm_source=MadMimi&utm_medium=email&utm_content=WilmingtonBiz_com+Monday+Update&utm_campaign=20211213_m165874027_12%2F13%2F2021+WilmingtonBiz_com+Monday+Update&utm_term=Passenger+trends+on+par+with+pre-COVID+numbers+at+ILM_C2_A0

[rancenc]

Major transportation improvement project begins in Brunswick County.

https://portcitydaily.com/local-news/2021/12/19/217-3m-construction-of-n-c-211-widening-begins-next-year-expect-a-work-zone-until-2026/

[kermit]

Rail realignment continues to progress to remove freight from the city. The project is “approaching” 20% design and is awaiting approval from USCG on the two draw bridges. Engineers hope to reach 30% design in “mid 2023”. Costs are currently soft estimated to be $760 million for the two bridges and new trackage mostly on Eagle Island. There is one brief mention that the existing tracks in the city are “set to be repurposed for public use.”  [Wilmington would have most of the ROW for a useful downtown to UNCW rail system gifted to them. Another, somewhat less useful, leg would also be available into the North side of downtown, and (potentially) to the airport.]

https://www.starnewsonline.com/story/news/2022/02/13/wilmington-nc-rail-realignment-project-cape-fear-memorial-bridge/6667918001/

 

 

Edited February 13, 2022 by kermit

[Merthecat]

On 4/29/2021 at 11:51 AM, Merthecat said:

Wilmington and New Hanover County leaders discussing a 1/4 cent sales tax to fund WAVE Transit and other transportation needs:

https://www.wect.com/2021/04/27/city-county-leaders-discuss-possible-quarter-cent-tax-help-fund-wave-transit/

So the sales tax was placed on the ballot, and voters rejected it 53-47: https://www.starnewsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/11/09/new-hanover-election-voters-weigh-in-on-tax-increase/69612936007/

[KJHburg]

Honestly this makes the best sense.  A new highway bridge with the railroads on the side or underneath instead of 2 bridges over the Cape Fear.

https://www.starnewsonline.com/story/news/local/2022/11/25/cape-fear-river-wilmington-nc-weighs-merging-bridge-replacement-with-rail-realignment/69657973007/

[kermit]

Much to my surprise it appears that the state will pay to rebuild the existing CSX tracks that run through town rather than build a new rail bridge (I think). This is a serious bummer. It will really handicap any significant port growth and the city is going to pay a price with even worse traffic. From the CAPT newsletter.

Quote

PROJECT P-5740 –‘RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY

FOR AN ICONIC RAIL SEGMENT

By Tommy Thomas,

CAPT Board Member

One of the oldest and most important rail segments in the Southeastern US is set to receive a long overdue facelift late this summer as the Wilmington Beltline Improvement Project (Project P-5740) will commence. Completion of this project will enable the Beltline to better serve the burgeoning Port of Wilmington for decades to come, as well as allow for other major changes to the rail network of Southeastern North Carolina.

Opened in 1907, the Wilmington Beltline stretches 13 miles from the Davis switching yard in Navassa, NC (Brunswick County) to the Port of Wilmington. When it was completed, its elongated "boomerang" shape allowed it to serve as a bypass around downtown Wilmington, allowed for access to the tracks being built to Jacksonville and New Bern, NC (the "Y" at the point of the boomerang is still known as the Fernside Junction), and continued around to its terminus south of Downtown near the area that would become the State Port years later.

Today, the Beltline (having long since been overtaken by the eastward growth of Wilmington) features 32 at-grade crossings along its length. These can cause a good deal of consternation due not only to the length of modern-day freight trains, but mostly due to the 10 MPH speed limit the trains must adhere to because of track conditions. Upgrades to all crossings (two will be eliminated), new rails, ties, signals, and signage, along with a "softening" and banking of the Fernside Junction curve, will allow for an increase in the speed limit to 25 MPH.

The Project will also feature upgrades to the two major Beltline bridges; one over the Cape Fear River near the Davis Yard and the Hilton Bridge over the NE Cape Fear just north of Downtown (there are two other smaller bridges also in line for long overdue improvements).

Of great personal interest to myself is the work that will be done at the point on the Beltline where the old Wilmington and Weldon corridor crosses on its way in and out of Wilmington. This 161-mile railroad was opened in 1840 (longest in the world at the time) and became known during the Civil War as "The Lifeline of the Confederacy".

While the parts of the W&W that were removed richly deserve to be restored (and will be the key to returning passenger service to Wilmington), that's a subject for another day--let's get P-5740 executed successfully first. Stay tuned!

Use the link below for the maps:

https://www.ncdot.gov/news/public-meetings/Pages/P-5740-2020-02-24.aspx

 

[kermit]

On 5/21/2023 at 11:36 PM, kermit said:

Much to my surprise it appears that the state will pay to rebuild the existing CSX tracks that run through town rather than build a new rail bridge (I think). This is a serious bummer. It will really handicap any significant port growth and the city is going to pay a price with even worse traffic. From the CAPT newsletter.

 

So the existing track rebuild is just because the intown tracks and grade crossings are in horrible condition. Plans for a new rail crossing over the Cape Fear are still in the works, but (still) a long ways off.

https://portcitydaily.com/latest-news/2023/06/28/fifth-option-for-cf-bridge-replacement-on-the-table-for-548m/