ADM expansion requires CRANDIC to add track

The completion of ADM's new $540 million dry mill ethanol plant in Cedar Rapids has created a need for more railroad track.

The CRANDIC Railway began construction this month of a hew 9,000-foot track that will go from Old Bridge Road to just east of Fairfax, CRANDIC Marketing Manager Jeff Woods said.

The new railroad track, referred to internall as the West 900 project, will parallel an existing CRANDIC line.

Woods said the new track will speed the interchange of cars with the Cedar Rapids-based Iowa Interstate Railroad, which operates and east-west line across Iowa.

Currently, CRANDIC's interchange with the Iowa Interstate takes place in the railroad's Smith-Dows yard near Edgewood Road in southwest Cedar Rapids, and takes place on two separate tracks.

When the construction is complete, the CRANDIC will be able to simply move the train onto the track and uncouple its engine so that the Iowa Interstate can pick them up.

ADM's new dry mill is opening up this month at its existing manufacturing complex in southwest Cedar Rapids.

The CRANDIC, a unit of Alliant Energy, got a later than expected start on the project because of the summer's heavy rains and permitting issues. The project is slated for completion by winter.

“It's an expensive project, but it wil help the shipping community in terms of getting shipments in and out of town quickly,” Woods said. “It will definitely save a lot of time, with the sheer magnitude of trains moving in and out of town.”

The major categories of commodities the track will carry are coal, corn, distillers dried grains and ethanol. The track will also carry general freight, such as cardboard and paper shipments.