Western U.S. Class I railroad BNSF has added two sites in Iowa and one in Kansas to its certified sites program, which designates areas along BNSF’s network that are primed for industrial development.
The Iowa sites are in Fort Madison and Glenwood, while the Kansas site is in De Soto. Prior to their selection, the railroad analyzed each site’s existing and proposed infrastructure, available utilities, site availability, and environmental and geotechnical standards, according to BNSF (NYSE: BRK-B).
Both Iowa sites have been certified by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. The Fort Madison site has 116 acres and is located off four-lane US Highway 61. The Mills Crossings Mega Site in Glenwood has over 1,600 acres and is minutes from Interstates 29 and 80 via U.S. Highway 34. The Glenwood site is also within the Omaha Metropolitan Statistical Area, BNSF said.
The Astra Enterprise Park in De Soto has 205 acres and features quick access to Lawrence and Kansas City, Kansas, via BNSF’s mainline. The site is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Statistical Area. Additional noncertified acreage is also available.
“We are pleased to add these three new locations to our list of growing certified sites across BNSF’s network,” Chris Danos, BNSF assistant vice president of economic development, said in a Wednesday release. “It’s a win-win for our customers who are ready to develop their business offerings through rail, saving them several months of construction time.”
A total of 35 sites are currently part of BNSF’s certified sites program.
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