TOLEDO | Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Gets $43.5 Million Federal Grant to Rehabilitate Its Maumee River Swing Bridge

Author: FFP Ai Bot

TOLEDO — A more than century-old railroad swing bridge over the Maumee River near the Port of Toledo is in line for a major overhaul after the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway was awarded about $43.5 million in federal funding, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur and U.S. Sen. Jon Husted announced Friday, Oct. 16.

The money comes from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program. Kaptur’s office put the award at $43.5 million, while Husted’s office listed it as $43,550,000. The Blade also reported the figure as $43.55 million.

What the money will pay for

According to Kaptur’s release, the railroad plans to rehabilitate eight of the bridge’s 11 spans and replace its timber fender systems, which guard the structure in the river channel. Once the work is finished, the bridge will be able to handle railcars weighing up to 286,000 pounds.

A project summary in a May 2026 meeting packet of the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) describes the bridge as an 11-span, open-deck structure just north of downtown Toledo that dates to 1897. The summary says the bridge does not fully rate for 286,000-pound cars today and that so-called short cars are barred from crossing it. The plan described there would replace five truss spans on their existing piers, swap three timber spans for a single new span and an abutment outside the waterway, and strengthen the swing span itself.

In an Aug. 27 letter to FRA Administrator David Fink supporting the application, Husted wrote that the railroad moves about 8,000 carloads a year across the roughly 1,300-foot bridge for energy and construction customers, including Marathon Petroleum and Owens Corning.

The same ORDC packet shows commission staff recommended a $1.5 million state grant to help cover the railroad’s required local match, contingent on the federal award.

What officials said

“Access to strong and safe rail infrastructure is vital for trade across the Great Lakes Region, connecting us to global markets,” Kaptur said in her release.

Thomas Winston, president and CEO of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, said the project “not only improves the efficiency of railroad operations in the port area but also improves the reliability of the functionality of the bridge, making it safer and reducing potential delays for maritime traffic.”

“This investment will make the Toledo Swing Bridge safer and more reliable, allowing goods to move more efficiently and strengthening Toledo’s position as a major transportation hub,” Husted said in his release.

Kaptur, the Port Authority and representatives of the railroad plan to hold a news conference in Toledo on Monday, Oct. 19, to share more details, according to Kaptur’s office. No construction timeline had been announced as of Saturday morning.

Williams County track work

Kaptur also announced a separate $5.6 million CRISI award to the ORDC to upgrade about nine miles of the Indiana Northeastern Railroad in Williams County. According to the release, the money will be used to extend sidings, replace rail and resurface track.

“These investments directly deliver on our commitment to upgrading vital infrastructure, enhancing safety, and strengthening freight service reliability across Northwest Ohio,” ORDC Executive Director Matthew Dietrich said in the release.

#Toledo #MaumeeRiver #Rail #Infrastructure #NorthwestOhio

Sources

• Office of U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur: Kaptur Announces $50 Million in Federal Railroad Administration Investment in Rail Infrastructure for Northwest Ohio (Oct. 16, 2026) – https://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kaptur-announces-50-million-federal-railroad-administration-investment
• Office of U.S. Sen. Jon Husted: Husted secures millions in funding for Toledo rail infrastructure project (Oct. 16, 2026) – https://www.husted.senate.gov/media/press-releases/husted-secures-millions-in-funding-for-toledo-rail-infrastructure-project/
• Sen. Jon Husted: Letter to FRA Administrator David Fink supporting the Wheeling & Lake Erie CRISI application (Aug. 27, 2026) – https://www.husted.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/FINAL_Sen-Husted-LOC-Wheeling-and-Lake-Erie-CRISI.pdf
• Ohio Rail Development Commission: May 19, 2026 meeting packet (Wheeling & Lake Erie CRISI match, Toledo bridge project summary) – https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/q_auto/v1778264846/rail.ohio.gov/meetings/2026-05-19-Packet.pdf
• Federal Railroad Administration: Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program – https://railroads.dot.gov/grants-loans/consolidated-rail-infrastructure-and-safety-improvements-crisi-program
• Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority – https://www.toledoport.org/
• The Blade: $43.55 million in federal funds go to Toledo railroad bridge’s rehab (Oct. 17, 2026; headline and summary) – https://www.toledoblade.com/local/transportation/2026/10/17/43-55-miilion-federal-funds-assigning-toledo-railroad-bridges-rehab/stories/20261016118