YORK PA – A Pennsylvania-headquartered road and high-speed train contractor, Ameri-Metro of York, said Tuesday (Sept. 20, 2011) that a subsidiary it owns had “finalized an agreement” to build a new combination railway and toll road at a cost of $7 billion, representing a “once-in-a-lifetime project” that would generate 14,000 construction jobs.
Concept sketch of a train station proposed for a toll road-rail line project announced Tuesday in Alabama, which reportedly would be built by a York PA company
While that sounds somewhat similar to projects proposed for western Montgomery County PA during the past 18 months, and its timing seems ironic given public criticism of highway tolling voiced last week at a meeting in Royersford PA, rest assured you haven’t missed any important decisions. Ameri-Metro was NOT referring to U.S. Route 422.
Instead, its plans cover a 300-mile stretch from port operations in Southern Alabama to the Tennessee state line, the Andalusia (AL) Star News newspaper reported. Moreover, the newspaper added, the announcement “caught economic leaders throughout the state off-guard.” The Star News cited other media outlets’ reports that “officials with (Alabama) economic and transportation offices had no advance knowledge of the project being announced.”
Toll road and rail line discussions focused on the 422 Corridor from King of Prussia PA to the Berks County line have made headlines locally for some time, but were heightened with a highly charged public forum on the subject last week at Pope John Paul II High School in Royersford. The (Pottstown) Mercury newspaper, in an editorial published Thursday (Sept. 22), declared the suggestion to impose tolls along 422 to pay for highway and rail improvements there as “an idea … doomed through poor handling by its supporters and overwhelming opposition.”
The Alabama project, in contrast, is one the contractor claims has been reviewed over several years. Full details are still months from being finalized, Shah Mathias, chief executive officer of Ameri-Metro, told The Star News. However, he also said his company had an aggressive timeline that could enable work on the four-lane limited access toll road to begin in Fall 2012.
Just how realistic the timeline is, or even whether the Alabama project comes to fruition, is being openly questioned.
The Mobile (AL) Press-Register newspaper reported Thursday that a 2010 filing with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission at the time indicated Ameri-Metro was “thinly capitalized” and potentially unable to finance the ambitious proposal.
Related (to U.S. Route 422 Corridor planning):
- Toll Road, Rail Line Deal Announced … NOT For 422
- Candidates Criticize DVRPC Toll Info Position
- On 422 Toll Plan, DVRPC Fights Information Requests
- Notebook Worthy (U.S. Route 422 Forum Edition)
- Drivers will subsidize new rail line in 422 tolling plan (The Pennsylvania Independent)
- Agendas Abound Tonight At 422 Forum In Royersford
- Quigley Seeks Crowd As Source Of Comments On 422
- State Road Tolls A Future Funding Solution, Official Agrees
- Report Expected To Suggest Law For Road Toll Authority
- I-95 A Big Problem; 422 A Solvable Problem (With Tolls)
- Even With Tolling, 422 Might Be Free (For A Few Miles)
- County Candidates Brown, Castor Oppose 422 Tolling
- Quigley, Other Reps Questioning 422 Tolls Proposal
- 422 Toll Proposal Wins Some PA Commission Backers
- Exec Highway Group To Hear Rt. 422 Tolling As ‘Model’
- 422 Questions Answered, For Your Viewing Pleasure
- In 422 Tolling, Planners Say, Studying Doesn’t Make It So
- Former Reporter Asks Commissioners To Support 422 Tolls
- Online Survey Seeks Opinions On Local Road Congestion
- 422 Plus Project Plays Offense With FAQs Debut
- Peering Into The Future? Gov’s Bridge Proposal And 422
- Another Township Endorses 422 Master Plan
- Neighboring Limerick Supervisors Endorse 422 Master Plan
- Understand 422 Plan Endorsement, Lower Pottsgrove Advised
- Lower Pottsgrove Holds On 422 Plan Endorsement
- Engineers Claim PA Roads Worse Now Than In 2006
- Tuesday Session Tackles Funding For 422 And Elsewhere
- Tolls, Lower Pottsgrove Station Part Of 422 Plan
- Pending Decision May Affect Route 422 Projects
- Last Day For Your Say On Route 422 Plan
- Notebook Worthy (Aug. 24, 2009)
- Consultants Express Interest In Studying 422
- Don’t Like 422 Tolling? Website Wants Your Alternative
- Truckers Alerted On Highway Partnerships Bill
- In 422 Debate, Time A Hindrance And Help
- Notebook Worthy (June 29, 2009)
- Growth, Planners Say, Is 422’s Growing Problem
- Tech Used To Draw For 422 Meetings
- Route 422 Toll Meetings Next Week
- 422 Repairs, Delays Start Tuesday
- 422 Proposal, Like Traffic, Creeps Ahead
- Got A Route 422 Idea? Time To Air It
- Train Service On The Front Burner Once More
Illustration from AmeriMetro
Who’s fronting the money for this?
Would seem that numerous overpasses, bridges, and the like would be a necessity so that will impact existing state roadways and some coordination with the state of Alabama would be essential.
“officials with (Alabama) economic and transportation offices had no advance knowledge of the project being announced.” they knew nothing…… Hah!