Gov. Brown praises new Mid-Willamette Valley Intermodal Center
MILLERSBURG – A group of proud ribbon-cutters gathered between two shipping containers to mark the grand opening – and completion – of the Mid-Willamette Valley Intermodal Center today in Millersburg.
Nearly 200 supporters attended the celebration for the project, which will serve as an intermodal center for the valley’s natural resource-based economy. Trucks will bring in cargo in international containers to the facility so it can be transferred to rail cars, which then head north to marine terminals in Seattle and Tacoma – bypassing the busy Interstate 5 congestion along the way.
“We chose four projects in 2017 to receive the state’s Connect Oregon funding, based on the multiple benefits these projects would bring us, and the Mid-Willamette Valley Intermodal Center was one of them. I’m proud to say we made a great choice – the right choice,” Governor Kate Brown said. “Working together, we have created a success we can all be proud of. Congratulations!”
Several guest speakers also shared their congratulations with attendees, including Roger Nyquist, Linn County Commissioner and Board Vice Chair for the Linn County Economic Development Group, which led the way in getting support for the project.
“Our region has a long history of producing products that are beneficial to people around the world — from two-by-fours to the food people put on their dinner plates,” Commissioner Nyquist said. “This intermodal facility ensures the products will have ample transportation access to those markets long into the future.”
Nyquist added, “We are grateful to all involved who have helped make this happen. I want to thank Governor Brown and former State Rep. Andy Olson for their leadership in making this project a reality.”
Nyquist thanked numerous people who supported the project and stuck with it during the long process to see it to fruition.
ODOT Director Kris Strickler said, “This is a first-of-its-kind project for us at ODOT and for the legislatively directed Connect Oregon program. We have never developed a major freight intermodal transfer hub. Connect Oregon has never taken a site used for something else and turned it into a non-highway funded transportation facility.”
Oregon Transportation Commission Vice-chairman Julie Brown called the project, “a smart way to use public funds.”
Karla Chambers, co-owner of Stahbush Island Farms noted how important the intermodal center will be for ag and timber producers for decades to come.
Other special guests/speakers were ConGlobal CEO Brandt Ring, Aaron Hunt, Senior Director of Public Affairs for Union Pacific Railroad and Grant Cyrus, Senior Distribution Director, Target.
Among other benefits, the $35.5 million, 64-acre Mid-Willamette Valley Intermodal Center should [DW1] reduce costs for farmers, shippers and others using the facility, while also reducing the number of trucks on Oregon highways. The state’s Connect Oregon program funds non-highway, multimodal projects that support the economy and provide options for transportation. The goal is to ensure Oregon's transportation system is strong, diverse and efficient.
