(The following story by R.T. Morgan appeared on The Town Talk website on March 1, 2009.)
ALEXANDRIA, La. — Intermodal may be the catchword of choice to describe a transportation facility local industries and business organizations are working to bring to Central Louisiana.
But there is a difference in the meaning of intermodal and the reality of what’s being sought. By definition, an intermodal facility combines the four modes of travel — air, land, water, rail — at one location.
The focus of this current search, however, appears to be primarily on a rail facility. That’s a fact derived from the recent release of prospective sites and past studies.
“It’s always been that,” said Jon Grafton, executive director of the England Economic and Industrial Development District.
The emphasis on rail was brought out in the first intermodal study, he explained. At that time, in August 2008, South Carolina-based Genesis Consulting described the proposed facility as “railroad lines and lots of pavement,” according to past Town Talk reports.
Grafton said that initial study was to see if local companies would support such a facility. Yes was the resounding answer, he added.
Grafton has been involved in the most recent studies into intermodal, beginning in early 2008. He was part of a local site selection team that worked with Genesis Consulting to narrow eight possible locales to four — the Pollock Airport; land at the Rapides Station along interchange of Interstate 49; the Pineville Municipal Airport at Lake Buhlow; and the Alexandria Regional Port.
The Pollock Airport scored at the top of Genesis’s list with the port coming in last. Price of development runs opposite. Development of the port was estimated at $14.6 million while the Pollock Airport came in at $22.9 million.
All four sites have access to at least one rail server, according to the survey by Genesis. Pollock Airport’s top score was partly due to rail access from Kansas City Southern and Union Pacific.
Both the site in Pollock and the Pineville Municipal Airport have some form of access to air, at least by virtue of name. The port and Rapides Station, meanwhile, are located in close proximity to England Airpark.
As for access to water, only the Alexandria Regional Port provides that attribute.
But the goal of intermodal is not simply all modes in one location, explained Mike Johnson, chairman of the North Rapides Business and Industry Alliance. Rather, the goal is to bring in a rail facility that will compliment existing facilities — the port, England Airpark and I-49.
While intermodal does encapsulate different forms of transportation, Johnson said they do not all have to be available at the same location. He sees it as a regional approach.
“This really completes all these different pieces,” Johnson said.
The goal is to cut down on shipping and receiving costs for local industries, he continued. Currently, several companies travel to Texas or elsewhere for intermodal. If that distance can be shrunken to 10 miles, Johnson said, it’s a “substantial benefit to this area.”
As for the future steps, that is, as of yet, unclear.
Funding is the biggest obstacle when considering intermodal, said Elton Pody, president of the Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce. Pody, like Johnson and Grafton, said success of the project also relies on the support from a major player.
There’s also been talk of a private-public partnership to help fund the development. Johnson said the project has received support from both state and federal delegates.
“It’s a no lose, if we can get it off the ground,” he added.