Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle Announce $11.2 Million Federal Grant for Port of Coos Bay Rail Project

Washington, D.C. - Today, Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04), announced $11,250,000 in federal funds have been awarded for the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port (PCIP) Terminal Connection Project. This funding will support the Coos Bay Rail Line triplicate track and run-around section of track on the North Spit of Coos Bay, improving the port's rail operations.

"When I was Speaker of the Oregon House, I helped save the rail line to Coos Bay because I saw how critical the Port of Coos Bay was to all those who call Oregon's rural South Coast home. Now, we are one step closer to the Port of Coos Bay becoming the first fully ship-to-rail port facility on the West Coast-with the potential to transform the region and our state," said Merkley. "The Port of Coos Bay project stands to benefit working families across the region by creating good-paying, local union jobs and will continue to work with local and federal partners to get this project over the finish line."

"I'm glad the teamwork with Senator Merkley, Congresswoman Hoyle along with state and local officials has generated this most recent federal investment in the rail line that keeps this transformational Port of Coos Bay project advancing down the tracks," said Wyden. "This significant investment is great news for the port's fresh approach to generate thousands of good-paying jobs on the South Coast and to expand supply chain capacity for our entire country. And I'll keep pressing for the needed additional federal investments to complete this innovative ship-to-rail approach."

"I want to thank Secretary Duffy and MARAD for recognizing the importance of this project," said Hoyle. "This award reflects and builds on the tens of millions we've already secured for it, and reflects a serious investment in Coos Bay. We're determined to make the South Coast a place where working people can find good-paying jobs, support their families and build a future. It's about time we start delivering on the promise that we made after the timber industry died to transition to an economy that provides family wage jobs and the opportunity to build a future for working families on the South Coast."

This latest funding to the Port of Coos Bay comes from the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grant program, which supports projects that improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of the movement of goods into, out of, around, or within a port. Previously, Merkley, Wyden, and Hoyle announced over $55 million in federal funds to the Port of Coos Bay.

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