Federal grant helps advance Southern Utah multimodal logistics facility

The Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) is moving forward with plans to create a multimodal logistics facility in Southern Utah thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).

The facility would be located in Cedar City, Utah; UIPA is working with local officials and Iron County Economic Development to move the project forward, the groups said August 12. The USDOT grant is for $445,000 and is part of the agency’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program.

The first phase of the joint project includes a market assessment and business case analysis for the center and accompanying infrastructure needs. The project is part of ongoing efforts to help reduce truck traffic on Utah highways by transitioning more cargo to rail for local businesses, the groups said.

“This will significantly impact air quality, improve mobility, and add resiliency to Utah’s logistics infrastructure,” UIPA, Cedar City officials, and Iron County Economic Development said in a press release announcing the grant.

“We are very excited to receive this grant from USDOT and are looking forward to developing a multimodal logistics hub in southwestern Utah. With support from the Utah Inland Port Authority, Iron County, Cedar City, and Utah’s southwestern counties, we are looking to strengthen regional supply chains and to bring great jobs to our corner of the state,” Danny Stewart, director of Cedar City–Iron County Economic Development said in the press release.

UIPA, Cedar City, and Iron County representatives expect to begin evaluating requests for proposal (RFP) submissions over the next few months. They expect to formalize the RPF winner in January, which will begin the research and planning phase, according to spokesperson for the groups.