Virginia Inland Port undergoing improvements

The Port of Virginia’s Virginia Inland Port (VIP) in Front Royal is undergoing $26 million in projects to improve efficiency inside and outside its gates.

The Port of Virginia has received a $15.5 million grant to build a new bridge on State Route 658 that will run above the existing railroad tracks. The idea is to separate vehicle and train traffic outside of the terminal.

The grant, which will cover the entire cost of the project, comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program.

Inside the VIP terminal, the port is investing $3.3 million, which will be matched by $7.7 million from the state’s Rail Enhancement Fund, to expand capacity and improve cargo flow at VIP.

The optimization project consists of building three new railroad tracks on terminal (bringing to eight the total number of railroad tracks at VIP), lengthening the existing track, and purchasing two pieces of hybrid, low-emissions, cargo-moving equipment.

VIP is located at the intersection of Interstates 81 and 66 and is connected by daily train service to the port’s deep-water marine terminals. The terminal also consolidates and containerizes local cargo for export.