(The following article by Angela Macias was posted on the Enterprise website on March 28.)
BEAUMONT, Texas — The lone holdout in the Port of Beaumont’s rail expansion project now is on board, clearing the way for construction to begin this year, the port’s director said Monday.
In a letter sent earlier this month, Kansas City Southern’s senior vice president for international engineering put the railroad’s support in writing by agreeing with the main aspects of the port’s plan.
Chris Fisher, port director, said it was the last major obstacle to overcome before work starts on expanding the port’s rail capacity and relocating an interchange yard blocking the riverfront.
“We are all happy to see KCS respond and give us the go-ahead,” port board President Pete Shelton said at a Monday meeting.
The next step will be to finalize designs for a high-speed turnout for trains entering and leaving port property, as requested by KCS.
Fisher said the port will show the plan to the three railroads involved and ask for new maintenance agreements.
Construction on the $16 million project will start as early as October, he said.
More loading docks, additional track and increasing the port’s railcar capacity to double its current size are part of the improvements.
The interchange yard behind Beaumont City Hall will be moved onto port property. A Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway track running beside Riverfront Park remains.
City officials plan to tear down the Beaumont Civic Center and City Hall to make way for riverfront development.
The city won’t demolish the Civic Center until at least early next year.
Other plans include construction of a new municipal complex on the site now occupied by the public library. There has been no discussion of replacing the downtown library, according to The Enterprise archives.
Leaving the track between the new development and the park was criticized by KCS representatives and a port commissioner.
“If the track is there, it’s going to create some sort of problems,” said Commissioner Henry Nix.
City Manager Kyle Hayes said a hotel or upscale housing will be built on the west side of the tracks.
Crossing the railroad line won’t be necessary unless people are going to the park.
Adding a second walkway similar to that at the entrance of Riverfront Park is a possible solution, he said.
Fisher said BNSF could use the track less and less under the new plan and eventually agree to remove it.
“In the future, it may be something we can look at if it doesn’t hinder or upset the railroad’s operation,” he said.