The

Surface Transportation Board

’s Office of Environmental Analysis on Feb. 27 issued a

final environmental assessment

for Union Pacific Railroad's proposed construction of a 6-mile rail line in Mesa, Arizona.

The proposed line would connect UP's Phoenix Subdivision main line to industrial properties southeast of the Mesa Gateway Airport, STB officials said in a press release. The final assessment responds to comments received on a draft assessment and sets forth office's final recommendations, including recommended mitigation measures, to the board.

STB members will now consider the transportation merits, environmental issues and historic record as part of their final decision on the proposal.

UP proposed the line to meet the transportation and logistics needs of existing and future manufacturing businesses in the city’s Pecos advanced manufacturing zone and adjacent areas.

Currently, large industrial companies in the zone rely solely on trucking for transporting manufacturing materials and shipping finished products, as the nearest rail transload facility is UP’s Loup Logistics site 40 miles away.

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