Abilene Fainalist For KDOT Facility

Abilene Site named as Transload Facility Finalist by KDOT

The Kansas Department of Transportation announced seven finalists for the site of a proposed transload shipping center, and Abilene is one of the finalists to be considered for further review. KDOT received over one hundred possible sites from communities throughout Kansas.

The so­called “Abilene site” is located east of Abilene, about 1.5 miles south of Interstate 70, between the corporate limits of Abilene and Jeep Road.

“The fact that the Abilene site was selected as a finalist demonstrates the site’s strengths, and positions Abilene and the surrounding area for development related to freight shipping,” says City Manager David Dillner. “The City and County have coordinated a response to the first few phases of the site inquiry, and I believe that this effort will continue for the betterment of Abilene, Dickinson County, and the surrounding area.”

The other communities presently considered as finalists include: Concordia, El Dorado, Garden City, Great Bend, Parsons, and Norton.

Transloading is the process of moving goods from one mode of transportation to another, or in this case, from truck to rail and rail to truck. By blending the benefits of shipping by rail and local/short haul trucking, a transload facility can provide more flexible and cost­effective solutions for customers who may not have local access to freight rail service or those who need expanded warehousing.

“A transload facility in Abilene would create an opportunity for private investment as businesses seek to locate near facilities that would facilitate lower shipping costs,” says Dillner. “The City and County will proactively market the site businesses that would benefit from shipping or receiving bulk materials from the Abilene area. Other businesses may also find value in locating in an area with this type of facility.”

Representatives from Dickinson County and the City of Abilene will present the case for a transload facility in Abilene later this month.

“A transload facility is a great opportunity for Abilene and Dickinson County,” says Mayor Dennis Weishaar. “The City will work diligently to make the business case to the selection committee for locating a transload facility in Abilene.”

The Abilene site has a number of strengths for this type of development. Most notable, the site has convenient access to Interstate 70 via Jeep Road (Exit 277) and has access to BNSF Railway and Union Pacific.