Industrial Park Rail Expansion – North Carolina

Martin County, North Carolina
Martin County’s efforts to market the Martin Regional Business Park and their existing speculative buidling required developing conceptual rail plans to demonstrate the viability of rail service to the far end of this existing rail-served industrial park.  CivilSmith, PLLC teamed up with Creative Rail Solutions, LLC to provide a wide range of services to include conceptual design, cost estimating for establishing amount of grant funding, detailed rail design, track roadbed grading design, permitting, track construction specifications, bidding and contract documents, contract administration, and construction observation services.  With an active prospect looking at the site, CivilSmith and Creative Rail Solutions provided assistance to Martin County in their efforts to locate Weitron in the park’s existing building while planning for future industrial park rail access.  From the early stages of the site selection process to the lead track and spurs being placed in service, the CivilSmith/Creative Rail Solutions team worked through many details and challenges during mulitple phases of this project.

CivilSmith and Creative Rail Solutions coordinated with Martin County, Weitron, NCRR, and CSX throughout the entire duration of the project to develop rail designs that met the rail operational and capacity needs for existing, new, and future industrial rail users.  This project was grant-funded and as such required development of bidding and contract documents that met the requirements of both Martin County and the funding agencies.  CivilSmith provided all civil/site grading, drainage, and E&SC design and associated permitting.

CivilSmith and Creative Rail Solutions developed detailed track plans and track specifications that included modifications of existing track, relocation of an existing active industrial turnout, the construction of industrial lead track, connection track and spur track to serve this new industry.  Careful consideration was given to providing a design that would provide future rail access to multiple parcels within the park.  Specifications included the use of larger rail sections and the option of taking advantage of the potential cost savings by choosing to specify steel ties and steel tie turnout sets as teh base bid for all new construction.

Project Highlights:

• 4 Industrial Turnouts
• 5,000+ Track Feet of Lead and Connection Tracks
• NARSTCO Steel Tie & Turnout Construction

  Track Construction:  Amtrac Railroad Contractors of Maryland