$18.1 Million Awarded For 7 Port Development Projects In Minnesota

The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced they have awarded $18.1 million to fund a total of 7 port development projects that support efficient, reliable freight movement on Minnesota’s waterways. According to MnDOT,  the funding comes from the competitive Port Development Assistance Program.

The funding also leverages $8.8 million in local and private funding, for a total construction program of $26.9 million.

Two projects are located in the Twin Cities metro area, and five are located in greater Minnesota. The projects are expected to improve Minnesota’s "world-class multimodal freight transportation system and support growing industry, local businesses, and economic development."

“Minnesota’s multimodal freight transportation system – including the state’s network of river and Great Lakes ports – is one of Minnesota’s strongest assets when it comes to economic development,” said MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger. “These projects are examples of how collaboration between local partners, enhanced by private-public investments in critical local transportation infrastructure, support economic development and job creation throughout the state.”

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Which Port Development Projects Will Receive Funding?

Twin Cities Area Projects

• St. Paul Port Authority ($4.0 million) – Construction of new silos to increase cement storage; structural, electrical, and mechanical system upgrades to support material transfer on-site; safety upgrades to existing walkways and guard rails systems. The total project cost is $5.7 million.
  St. Paul Port Authority ($800,000) – Replacement and addition of mooring couplings/bollards, new guardrail with silt fence panels, and mechanical upgrades. The total project cost is $1.1 million.

Greater Minnesota Projects

• Duluth Seaway Port Authority ($7.57 million) – Hazardous materials abatement; demolition of existing buildings, including dilapidated grain elevators; recycle concrete from demolition for reuse on-site; deck and access road restoration; installation of utilities to create four-acre laydown area. The total project cost is $9.5 million.
• Red Wing Port Authority ($900,000) – Repair concrete deck, timbers, steel columns, and other portions of Little River Bulkhead. The total project cost is $1.2 million.
• Red Wing Port Authority ($1.7 million) – Construct four new mooring clusters for staging of fully laden grain barges. The total project cost is $2.2 million.
• Wabasha Port Authority ($890,000) – Establish a new barge terminal facility, including an access road, sheet pile dock face, steel pile pipe clusters, truck scale, and field office. The total project cost is $4.3 million.
• Port Authority of Winona ($2.2 million) – Infrastructure and accessibility improvements along Levee Park dock wall, street and pathway realignments, removal of abandoned railroad tracks necessary for river cruise passengers to safely disembark and embark river vessels. The total project cost is $2.8 million.

The PDAP program has awarded nearly $70 million since its establishment in 1994.

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