Anacostia Rail Holdings (ARH) has announced that its Louisville & Indiana Railroad (LIRC) has been awarded a matching grant of $6,492,000 for improvements to the railroad’s Clagg lift span in its Ohio River Bridge.

Funding for the improvements will be provided through a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program grant. LIRC will contribute the 50 percent non-Federal match.

“LIRC is grateful for this award which will ensure that our 100-year-old lift span over the Ohio River will remain a key component for our country’s economy for the next 100 years,” says John Goldman, LIRC President. “I would like to thank everyone that made this happen—with a special thanks to U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell (KY), Mike Braun (IN) and Todd Young (IN); U.S. Representatives Erin Houchin (IN) and Morgan McGarvey (KY); the Indiana Department of Transportation; Ports of Indiana; Indiana Economic Development Corporation; the Jeffersonville, IN Mayor’s Office; the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet; the Kentuckiana Regional Planning & Development agency; and all its members along with many city and regional officials, economic development associations, and customers.”

The project’s scope includes project development, final design, and construction for improvement of the Clagg Lift Span of the Fourteenth Street Bridge, which connects Louisville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Indiana. The project aligns with the grant’s selection criteria by improving safety, as the project will sustain the efficient multi-modal transport of goods across the Ohio River.

In his announcement of the grant, Senator McConnell said, “As a transportation and logistics hub, Kentucky’s railroads have been the linchpin of economic growth for generations of workers and job creators in the Commonwealth. I’ll continue to be a fierce advocate for Kentucky’s railroads, riverports, and waterways in years to come.”

Freight railroads are the most fuel-efficient way to move freight over land*. LIRC’s continuous investment in infrastructure, equipment, and technology enables shippers to reduce their carbon footprint and build a more resilient supply chain network.