Whether a Columbia city resident or a fan traveling to Williams-Brice Stadium to watch the University of South Carolina Gamecocks play, you've probably sat in standstill traffic on Assembly Street waiting for a train to pass.
It's a frustration nearly every driver knows, including U.S. Congressman Jim Clyburn, who on Friday formally announced an added $204.2 million in federal funding to help untangle the railway and car traffic.
"That's a pretty good hunk of change," the 6th District Democrat said Friday in the Columbia City Council chambers. "And what is going to happen when all of this is done, is we will have cured that problem that has been there forever: Getting trains to move as they should and not interrupting the flow of traffic ... across and down Assembly Street."
The eyebrow-raising figure comes via the Federal Railroad Commission, which on Friday announced more than $205.1 million for two railway projects in South Carolina: One in Columbia and the other for the city of North Charleston's Rivers Avenue grade separation planning.
“The Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program funding we’re announcing today is a sweeping effort that directly supports cities, towns, and villages in every region of the country in their efforts to protect lives, prevent drivers being delayed by blocked crossings, and improve the overall quality of life for their citizens," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.
The federal grant brings the total raised for Columbia's project to roughly $279 million, an amount split between federal, state and local dollars, according to city documents provided Friday.
State transportation leaders estimate the total cost of the railway project to range between $265 million to $305 million.
The grant is a "gamechanger" for Columbia, Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said.
"It opens up a gateway. It opens up a whole realm of our downtown city. It makes us an urban center, and we're so excited about that," Rickenmann said. "This is going to be a monumental project folks."
The project's start to ease the Norfolk South Railway and CSX train congestion is still about two to three years away, said state Transportation Secretary Justin Powell.
Environmental and impact studies are expected to be completed this year, city documents said.
"This will be a challenging project to construct," Powell said Friday. "But I think at the end of the day, it will be well worth it for Columbia and for South Carolina."
So what will the project look like?
Officials will weigh a options that'll include whether to lower Assembly Street by 18 feet and build a bridge for trains over it.
Post construction, Rickenmann told reporters he likes the idea of intertwining art with the bridges, turning what could be a drab-looking piece of concrete into a gateway that "gives some life to it."
The project's website says construction will span between 18 and 24 months.
State and local officials said they know there'll be some annoyance among drivers once construction begins.
"Thankfully we're not starting tomorrow," said Rickenmann, who added officials will try everything they can to prevent disruptions.
This will be a major project, Powell reiterated, saying he'd encourage drivers to keep in mind that the end result is to avoid the current disruptions.
"No gain comes without some pain," Powell said.
