U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly and Ports of Indiana CEO Rich Cooper Monday announced a $9.85 million federal grant for the Burns Harbor facility. The Department of Transportation grant will allow the port to increase its cargo operations capacity. Upgrades will include new truck facilities, improvements in rail connections, and updates to the port’s dockside infrastructure. Donnelly supported the Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor’s application. To read Donnelly’s letter of support to the Department of Transportation in December 2016, click here.
Donnelly said, “Indiana’s ports are economic drivers for our state that help create jobs and support our state’s manufacturing. I was proud to support the Ports of Indiana’s application because this grant will help Burns Harbor increase its capacity and efficiency, expanding economic opportunities for Indiana.”
Rich Cooper, Ports of Indiana CEO, said, “These investments in Northwest Indiana will allow the Port of Indiana to increase its multimodal freight-handling capabilities to help meet anticipated future demand. Our port companies and stevedores will benefit tremendously with this significant new infrastructure investment that will enhance productivity and efficiency for those who rely on the port’s water, rail and highway connections. Our Portage port is regarded as one of the premier ports on all of the Great Lakes because of our continued re-investments into the facility. This grant will permit us to further accelerate our investments to help attract new companies and new cargoes to the region.”
The port’s grant would provide partial funding for $19.7 million in infrastructure enhancements, including the construction of a new 2.3-acre cargo terminal with multimodal connections for handling cargo transfers between ships, barges, rail cars and trucks. In addition, 4.4 miles will be added to the port’s existing 14-mile rail network. Two new rail yards will create rail storage for 165 rail cars, accommodate a 90-car unit train and provide rail car switching within the port, which will improve operating efficiencies for port companies. Improvements to the west dock, including extending a retaining wall and paving a dock apron, will result in an additional 1,200 feet of usable dock space. The project scope also includes a new six-acre truck marshalling yard that will relieve congestion along port roads.
For information on how Senator Donnelly’s office can assist cities, municipalities, and groups applying for federal grants, please visit https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/help/grants.
