The City of Columbia received $204 million in federal funding for the Assembly Street Railroad Project. Photo by Josh Cruse
The City of Columbia announced on Friday, January 10 that it is getting $204.2 million federal funding for the Assembly Street Railroad project.
“We are very excited that we are here today in partnership with SCDOT, our partners in the county, and with the support we are getting, and the future partnership with our railroads to make this a game changer for Columbia,” Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said. “It opens up a gateway. It opens up a whole realm of our downtown city. It makes us an urban center. This is going to be a monumental project.”
Among the speakers was Congressman Jim Clyburn, who mentioned upon getting elected as congressman in 1992 one of his first approved earmarks was for this project.
According to the project’s webpage, www.assemblystreetrailproject.com, it eliminates 15 grade crossings, six horizontal and nine with a raised profile. Assembly Street crossings would be lowered, while rail tracks at Catawba and Whaley Streets would be raised. The existing grade crossings at Dreyfuss and Assembly and Rosewood and Assembly would be removed.
Road closures would happen at Lincoln and Flora Streets.
The rail line crossing at Assembly near the California Dreaming Restaurant will remain.
SCDOT Chief Operating Officer Justin Powell said his office is working with the city to go through the permitting phase, which should last through the summer. Once that phase is complete, the project will move forward to construction.
The City of Columbia and SCDOT are collaborating to advance the project forward while securing funding for the next steps. Preliminary Engineering Agreements have been established with CSX and Norfolk Southern. The railroads have provided comments to alternatives, and SCDOT is reviewing them internally. The EA (Environmental Assessment) and the FONSI (Finding of No Significant Impact) are expected to be complete by early 2025. Because of the preliminary status of the project, a final project cost estimate has not yet been determined. However, the current estimated range as provided by the SCDOT is $265 – $305 million for the entire project. Current funding is $279 million ($204 million FY23-24 Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program, $10 million FY2024 Congressionally Directed Spending, $35 million State of South Carolina, $5 million City of Columbia, and $25 million Richland County— Transportation Penny, pending).
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