The Pierce County Industrial Development and Building Authority (IDA) is currently accepting bids for dirt for a rail bed in the Pierce County Industrial Park.
A bid notice is included in this week’s public notices. Deadline for submitting bids is July 13.
“It’s all about building the future,” IDA Executive Director Matt Carter explains.
Several companies have asked about the rail car capacity of the industrial park’s current spur, which can currently hold fifteen cars. Carter says many of these companies making inquiries require the capacity to hold 50-150 cars.
Opening bids for the preparation of an extended rail bed is the next step in expanding the park. Once the bed is prepared Adams Warnock Inc., the company contracted to maintain and operate the new rail spur, would finish and install the necessary rail.
Once completed, the extended rail will provide access to 1.2 million square feet of space that could be used by regional timber, agricultural and mechanical industries.
This would benefit not just Pierce Co., Carter says, but also the other members of the Joint Authority that helped construct the original spur: Appling, Bacon and Jeff Davis Counties.
Dirt delivery locations will be marked along a path from the end of the current rail spur all the way to Bob Bowen Road. The ground will need to be raised an average of 2-3 feet above the current grade along the entire rail bed.
Future plans could include the rail eventually crossing Bob Bowen Road to access further areas of the industrial park.
Alternate locations from which to source the dirt for delivery to the site can be proposed by bidders, pending Adams Warnock approval, but Carter feels confident suitable soil can be found within the park, which should cut down on the project’s time and expense.
