U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W. Va., secured $600,000 in funding for preliminary planning and design work on the project earlier this year in the Fiscal Year 2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act.

Rahall also is seeking $13.5 million in federal funding for the actual construction of the intermodal facility in the new multi-year transportation authorization bill, which is currently being crafted in the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Rahall serves as vice chairman of that committee.

However, Bluefield City Manager Andy Merriman announced last week that a decision on the new transportation bill has been delayed by another six to eight weeks due to the ongoing debate in Washington over health care reform.

Despite the delay, the project still has a good chance of being funded, Mayor Linda Whalen said.

Whalen said officials with Rahall’s office and the office U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W. Va., have both indicated the project is still on track.

The transit center is planned near the site of the old Matz Hotel and Colonial Theater in downtown Bluefield. The intermodal center is proposed to consolidate current facilities that are geographically dispersed throughout the community.

The initial $600,000 federal funding award will allow the city to complete the master planning, market analysis, financial plan and environmental documentation necessary for the intermodal project.

While the city awaits word on the $13.5 million in federal funds needed to actually build the Colonial Intermodal Center, Whalen said the Bluefield Board of Directors learned last week from Delegate John Shott, R-Mercer, of an unrelated $15,000 state Community Participation Grant award to assist with the city’s ongoing broadband initiatives.

Whalen said the city also was awarded grant funding that will allow for the planting of several additional new trees in the downtown area, as well as in the area near the new tennis courts at city park.

Whalen said the new trees will be planted soon.

“We will continue to do some new planting,” Whalen said. “As soon as they get us the forms, we can go ahead and starting planting.”