The three railroads have preliminarily agreed to move their tracks so the Gary/Chicago International Airport can lengthen its runways, but funding questions remain.
The agreement, which is central to an airport expansion project that could assuage safety concerns, solve regulatory issues and bolster the airport's capabilities, was announced Thursday.
Airport Director Chris Curry said airport officials signed a "preliminary memorandum of understanding" with EJ&E, CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads. The agreement provides for the moving of EJ&E tracks that stand in the way of lengthening the main runway by about 2,000 feet, Curry said. The agreement also involves moving trains from the CSX tracks onto Norfolk Southern tracks so that a second runway can be extended.
Thursday's deal is a product of years of talks among railroad and airport officials, regional economic boosters and politicians.
"The team worked long, hard hours on making this agreement come to fruition," Curry said in a news release.
But estimates have pegged the rail-moving project's cost at $45 million, and Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority board members have been told the RDA may be asked to pay as much as $18 million. Gary Jet Center Owner Wil Davis -- a proponent of the runway extensions and a critic of the railroads once blocking that project -- said the agreement is a step forward, but he wonders who will provide the funding.
"I don't want to be pessimistic, but we have a lot to be done out here and people can't lose sight of that," Davis said.
RDA board members see the airport as a priority, Chairman Leigh Morris said. Indeed, Morris talked with consultants on airport issues Thursday night, he said. Board members want to move quickly, but they also want to do "due diligence."
"Our objective, of course, is to help to get this done," Morris said.
"The concern is to make sure that we are going about it in the most businesslike way and that the investments that are made are sound ones."
U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Ind., expressed approval of Thursday's announcement.
"I have had meetings with the railroads to push them to this outcome, and I'm happy that they have come to it," he said through a spokesman.
