If local planners have their way, motorists on Oregon Way in Longview will one day to look down at the Industrial Way intersection and see freight trains passing underneath.

This overpass is the lynchpin of an emerging, $200 million plan to upgrade the region's aging rail network to accommodate industrial growth.

Officials say the overpass and rail plan are vital to prevent massive traffic tie-ups at rail crossings, especially now that Millennium Bulk Terminals has plans for a 44 million ton coal export terminal west of Longview. The terminal would require 16 train trips, each a mile long, to pass through the Longview industrial corridor daily.

"It's going to be the biggest thing the county has ever done in transportation," said Rosemary Siipola, transportation manager for the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments.

She said the area's need for improved rail service goes far beyond the need to accommodate Millennium and is vital to the region's overall economic growth.