PNWER RIA Congratulates City of Spokane Valley for $22 million Federal RAISE Grant Award

Pines Road/BNSF Grade Separation Project Will Improve Safety, Reliability of Freight and Passenger Movement

SEATTLE (August 12, 2022) — The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S.DOT) yesterday awarded the City of Spokane Valley $22 million for a highway-rail grade separation project through its Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. The project, “Pines Road/BNSF Grade Separation Project,” will replace the highway-rail at-grade crossing of Pines Road (State Route 27) and the BNSF Railway tracks with a new underpass. Beyond improving safety and reliability for passenger and freight traffic, the redesign includes shared use paths and a new trailhead and parking lot facility equipped with restrooms, electric vehicle charging, and non-motorized access to the adjacent Centennial Trail and Spokane River.

A nationally and regionally significant project, the Pines Road/BNSF Grade Separation Project has been under development and seeking funding for several years. In 2021, the Pacific Northwest Economic Region Regional Infrastructure Accelerator (PNWER RIA) recognized the project’s regional importance by naming it as one of its initial two priority projects. PNWER RIA leadership provided technical assistance and helped raise the project’s profile by underscoring the complexity of the road/rail conflicts, and pushing its elevation on priority funding lists.

“The City’s need to grade separate our street network from the 60-70 trains per day has increased year over year. Projects like the Pines Road/BNSF Grade Separation Project are essential to the safety and mobility of people and freight across our city, state, and northern US,” said Gloria Mantz, City Engineer.  “The RIA's focus on impactful projects like this is already showing real value and the City appreciates their support as the project moves forward.”     

“The Pines Road/BNSF Grade Separation Project design serves as a national model for blending multi-modal improvements into a grade separation project,” said Bruce Agnew, PNWER RIA Director. “Updating this grade crossing will help decongest our national supply chains and benefit trans-continental passenger rail traffic along Amtrak’s historic Empire Builder. We will be working with the City of Spokane Valley, the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board, the State of Washington, and our Congressional Delegation to identify additional support.”

The Pines Road/BNSF Grade Separation Project has been championed by members of the state’s Congressional Delegation, especially Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and US Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA). The Pines Road project was one of 166 successful projects across the nation – Washington state received 7 RAISE grants in this round. The City of Spokane Valley has worked diligently with local, state, and federal transportation partners to get this project prioritized.  

ABOUT PNWER

The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) is a public/private non-profit organization created by statute in 1991. Member jurisdictions include Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Washington, and the Canadian provinces and territories of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon. PNWER's mission is to increase the economic well-being and quality of life for all citizens of the region; identify and promote "models of success; and serve as a conduit to exchange information. For more information on PNWER, visit www.pnwer.org.

ABOUT PNWER RIA

Initiated in 2021, the PNWER RIA serves as a convener for transportation projects in the region, specifically multistate and multi-jurisdictional initiatives with multi-modal and region-wide benefits. Funded through U.S. DOT’s Build America Bureau, the PNWER RIA helps identify Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) and federal financing opportunities to accelerate the delivery of transportation projects with region-wide benefits that ease supply chain disruptions, reduce transportation-related pollution, and increase economic and environmental justice, especially for historically underserved communities. For more information, visit www.pnwer.org/ria.