Public Information Meeting on SC DOT Proposed Assembly Street Railroad Project

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– Do you have comments about the trains running across Assembly Street? Now is your chance to talk with SC DOT Officials.

 The South Carolina Department of Transportation  has scheduled a public information meeting Tuesday, June 5, 2018, concerning the proposed Assembly Street railroad separation project in Richland County.

  The meeting will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Seawell’s, 1125 Rosewood Drive in Columbia.

 Officials say this is a drop-in style meeting where people can interact with SCDOT, City of Columbia and project staff about the proposed project.

   Property owners and business owners on or near the project area are especially encouraged to attend, say SC DOT officials.

  Project information, including meeting materials and comment forms will also be available on the project website https://assemblystreetrailproject.com/following the meeting.

 Below is background information provided in a release by the SC DOT:

 The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), in cooperation with SCDOT, are preparing environmental documentation and conceptual engineering for the consolidation and separation of rail corridors along Assembly Street and the surrounding areas. SCDOT is responsible for managing the project, while FHWA and FRA will provide final approval. The project area consists of an approximate 1.2 square mile area in south central Columbia. The project area is generally bounded by Blossom Street to the north, Pickens Street and Norfolk Southern’s rail line to the east, Norfolk Southern rail line approximately 3 miles southeast of Rosewood Drive toward Andrews Yard and South Beltline Boulevard, and Catawba Circle/Heyward Street/Dreyfuss Road/Assembly Street to the west.

 The purpose of this meeting is to provide an opportunity for the public to provide input concerning how existing rail and roadway conditions in the project area affect the community and their daily travel. The meeting will also allow the public to ask questions about the project, view preliminary environmental constraints maps and review and comment on the project’s preliminary purpose and need. Representatives of SCDOT and City of Columbia will be available to answer questions on an individual basis.  Another purpose of the meeting is to gather information from the public or any interested organization on historic or cultural resources in the area.