Railroad repair will halt service

Pend Oreille Valley Railroad will halt its daily Usk-to-Newport freight train on Friday and possibly next Monday to repair a rail crossing west of Newport.

The railroad, operated by the Port of Pend Oreille, hauls finished products and raw materials from manufacturers in Usk to Newport, and on a second line from Newport to Sandpoint. Several area manufacturers rely on the train, including Ponderay Newsprint and Ponderay Valley Fiber, both in Usk.

The Newport-Sandpoint line is not affected by the track work, said port manager Kelly Driver.

That $70,000 project involves rehabilitating track bed and rail ties where the rail line crosses Highway 20 six miles west of Newport. New ties will be installed as well as new concrete aprons for the crossing, said Driver.

The cost of the work at the crossing will be paid by the port, she added.

Later this year, the railroad expects to get $15,000 from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission for two other improvements along Railroad Avenue in Newport. Both projects involve adding steel fencing to prevent pedestrians from crossing the tracks.