The Osage River Bridge and Rail project (Project) is located on the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) Jefferson City Subdivision in Osage City, Missouri, along the Amtrak Missouri River Runner route. The Project consists of constructing a second railroad river bridge over the Osage River, at river mile 5.3, and providing double tracks on both sides of the bridge for a distance of approximately 0.5 miles. The new bridge will be downstream and immediately adjacent to the existing UPRR Bridge at milepost 116.89 over the Osage River. The existing bridge is currently the only one‐track section of railroad between St. Louis and Jefferson City, a distance of approximately 130 miles. When the new bridge and track work is completed, the UPRR line will be completely double track from Jefferson City to St. Louis. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) selected the application for the Osage River Bridge and Rail project, submitted by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), for funding under the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) Program.
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Osage River Crossing for UPRR in December 2007 and conducted a Reevaluation of the EA in March 2010. The EA, FONSI, and Reevaluation were prepared to support issuance of a USCG bridge permit. The USCG EA and Reevaluation cover the same scope of work proposed in the MoDOT Osage River Bridge and Rail Project selected for HSIPR funding by FRA. The FRA issued a FONSI for the project on June 21, 2010. FRA determined that the project would not have a significant adverse impact on the quality of the human and natural environment.