FAQ's

Click the FAQ’s below to reveal their answers:

The purpose of the project is to improve rail operations and improve vehicular connectivity while alleviating vehicle congestion associated with frequent freight rail movements through the project area.

The project area consists of an approximate 1.2 square mile area in south central Columbia, SC. The project area is generally bounded by:

  • Blossom Street to the north,
  • Pickens Street and Norfolk Southern R-line to the east,
  • Norfolk Southern (NS) rail line approximately 3 miles southeast of Rosewood Drive toward Andrews Yard and S. Beltline Boulevard, and
  • Catawba Circle/Heyward Street/Dreyfuss Road/Assembly Street to the west.
NEPA stands for the National Environmental Policy Act, which is a federal law that ensures that federal agencies thoroughly evaluate alternatives and impacts for a project as well as gather input from the public and federal and state agencies on the project. An Environmental Assessment (EA) is being prepared for this project. This is the start of the EA, alternatives have not been analyzed at this time, but they will be developed and evaluated as project scoping concludes and the input from the agencies and public are evaluated.
You will have numerous opportunities to participate in the project. Public scoping and public information meetings will be held for the project. Each meeting will be informal where you can interact with the Project Team on a one-on-one or small group discussion. Each meeting will have comment periods where you can submit comments either at the meetings, by mail, or email. The project website has a form where you can submit comments for the Project Team. You may also contact the SCDOT Project Manager. All comments will be reviewed and responses will be sent by SCDOT.
SCDOT, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is working collaboratively with other agencies on the development of the Environmental Assessment (EA). It is essential to work with agency partners to link the environmental and planning processes. The process continues to actively involve partners and interested parties in an open, cooperative and collaborative process, beginning at the planning stages and continuing through project development, construction and operations.

Funding for the environmental documentation and conceptual engineering phase of the project will be through federal Congressional Earmark funds and a FRA grant. Right of Way Acquisition and Construction funding options may include local pursuit of federal grants, as well as other existing transportation funding resources.

Contact Information:

Joe McIntyre

PO Box 191

Columbia, SC 29202-0191

803-737-1842

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