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Aberdeen and port leaders tell committee delay to US‑12 rail separation will harm safety and regional economy
Summary
City, port and county officials and the Port of Grays Harbor asked the committee to restore Connect Washington funding for the US‑12 grade‑separation project, saying a terminal expansion will double rail traffic and that delay would increase costs and block emergency access.
Officials from Aberdeen, Grays Harbor County and the Port of Grays Harbor urged the House Transportation Committee to restore funding for the US‑12 railroad grade‑separation project, warning delay would threaten safety, emergency response and a major port expansion.
“The Port Of Grays Harbor is in the process of the $230 million Terminal 4 expansion to be completed in 2026. This will double rail traffic through the city,” Leonard Barnes, executive director of the Port of Grays Harbor, told the committee, requesting that Connect Washington funding be restored so the city can complete right‑of‑way offers and move to construction.
Local leaders, including Mayor of Aberdeen and Darren Raines of Greater Grays Harbor, said frequent and long train blockages already isolate emergency services and commercial hubs. They asked that the house restore the project’s previously appropriated funding rather than push it beyond 2031 as the proposed substitute does.
Why it matters: port expansion and doubled rail movements were presented as time‑sensitive conditions that increase local safety and economic risk if the grade separation is delayed. Testifiers said the port expansion and property acquisition process are coordinated to permit near‑term construction; delaying the state funding would jeopardize both safety and a multimillion‑dollar private and public investment schedule.
