Great Lakes Basin Transportation Inc. was granted a pause in the environmental review process for its $8 billion project.
The proposed Great Lakes Basin Railroad would loop from southern Wisconsin to western Indiana in order to bypass congested Chicago freight lines. However, the route needs to be approved by the federal Surface Transportation Board in anenvironmental impact statement before any construction can begin.
GLBT filed for the pause December 1, saying they could file an application providing more detailed information on the railroad's business and operational impact. The STB granted this request Wednesday, but Office of Environmental Analysis Director Victoria Rutson says such a pause increases the evaluation's time and expense. In her response,Rutson says she expects a status update from GLBT founder Frank Patton on February 28.