FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 17, 2008
CONTACT: Matt Mackowiak
Senate Modifies Transportation Bill, Expedites $15 Million for Galveston Bridge Project
Legislation Authorizes Coast Guard to Replace Bridge
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Texas’ senior senator, today announced Senate passage of the Highway Technical Corrections bill, which she amended to expedite replacement of the Galveston Causeway Railroad Bridge.
The Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) Technical Corrections Act, which the Senate passed today, revises legislation that was enacted in 2005. It includes a provision Sen. Hutchison authored to transfer $15 million set aside in the 2005 legislation for the replacement of the Galveston Causeway Railroad Bridge into a Coast Guard Account, so rebuilding may begin.
“I’m pleased that the Senate revised these critical transportation policies and corrected technical errors so that important transportation infrastructure projects can be carried out,” said Sen. Hutchison. “It is essential that replacement of the railroad bridge be expedited, and with the transfer of this funding, the Coast Guard can begin this important project. A replacement bridge will alleviate barge traffic, as well as improve safety and environmental protection in the causeway.”
The Galveston Causeway Railroad Bridge provides the only rail link between Galveston Island and the mainland. In its present state, the bridge is an obstruction to navigation. The Coast Guard has designated the area as the most hazardous on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, from Brownsville, TX to Florida, and it has been the site of frequent and, and in some cases, fatal accidents. The Coast Guard has imposed navigational restrictions on tows and vessel operators. Authorities are employing further risk management techniques to avoid danger, but accidents continue to occur. The risk will not be eliminated until a new, safer structure is constructed.
In the SAFETEA-LU Act that was passed and signed into law in 2005, $15 million was earmarked in the Federal Highway Administration Account for the replacement of the Galveston Causeway Railroad Bridge. However, because the bridge stretches across a body of navigable water, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard, which is funded separately. The Technical Corrections Act transfers the money to the Truman Hobbs program within the Coast Guard, which was created specifically to assist with these types of bridge projects.
--END--
|
