WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Mike Bost (IL-12), Rodney Davis (IL-13), and John Shimkus (IL-15) today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a $20.84 million BUILD grant to America’s Central Port District in Granite City. The grant will be used to fund several projects to improve infrastructure at ports in the St. Louis region.
“Nearly half of all U.S. crops and livestock are produced within a 500-mile radius of the St. Louis metro area,” said Bost. “However, our ports and terminals need investments in infrastructure to handle these millions of tons of products. This major investment will allow these ports to expand and improve infrastructure in order to increase capacity. The positive effects of these funds on Southern Illinois will be compounding, and I was proud to have supported this grant application earlier this year.”
“The BUILD grant announcement from the Department of Transportation is a huge step towards improving the America’s Central Port in Granite City,” said Davis. “This project will create good-paying jobs for our constituents and reduce congestion in the region. Reps. Mike Bost, John Shimkus, and I are proud to support these BUILD grants in Congress because increasing investments in our local infrastructure creates jobs and grows our local economy. As one of our nation’s major transportation hubs, infrastructure investments in the Metro East help guarantee that the region remains economically competitive. We look forward to continuing our bipartisan work to improve our nation’s infrastructure.”
“The ports, terminals, rivers, roads and rails in the St. Louis metropolitan area are among our nation’s most critical transportation infrastructure,” said Shimkus. “Billions of dollars in agricultural and energy commodities travel through our area each year to feed and fuel America. I thank the Department of Transportation for making this important investment.”
At America’s Central Port, funding will be used for 2,050 linear feet of new railroad track, a new terminal access roadway, a new belt system, and barge loading system replacement. The St. Louis Port Authority project includes 7,300 linear feet of new railroad track, barge loading equipment modernization, conveyor replacement, loading shed updates, and flood mitigation work. Southwest Regional Port District in Dupo will use funding for loading shed and electrical system updates, hoist system and barge loading upgrades, and flood mitigation work.
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