CRANDIC Gets $7M for New Bridge

Repairs Needed After 2008 Floods

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded almost $7 million to repair the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Company's Cedar River Bridge and repair signals on the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway.

The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Company's Cedar River Bridge, damaged in the June 2008 floods, will receive $6,965,163. About 20,000 cars move across the bridge to downtown Cedar Rapids each year. The bridge also is an important connection to several Eastern Iowa businesses, including Archer Daniels Midland, International Paper, Cargill and Alliant Energy.

Funds were included in the second disaster package passed by Congress in September 2008. Loebsack and Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Waterloo, wrote in December 2008 to the Federal Railroad Administration to further appeal for funding to repair Iowa's railroads.