Wisconsin Gov. announces US$4 million Harbour Assistance Grant for Port of Superior
April 02, 08 by TheFleetIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Source: Dredging News Online
Governor Jim Doyle has announced US$4 million in Harbour Assistance Grants for the Port of Superior.
Speaking at a breakfast attended by municipal, business, tourism, and labour representatives from Superior and northern Wisconsin, Doyle said: “The Port of Superior is a critical part of Wisconsin’s economy. It is the Great Lakes’ largest harbour, handling a variety of agricultural products and other bulk materials, supporting job growth in Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest.”
The two grants, which total US$3,938,160, require a 20 per cent match from the city of Superior, and will be used to make needed repairs to docks.
One of the grants, for US$2,578,160, will be used for improvements to the Cutler-Magner dock wall. Increased production at the facility requires the storage area to be enlarged, stabilized and secured. The company has already invested approximately Us$36 million in facility upgrades on its own.
The second grant, totaling US$1,360,000, will be used by Cenex/Harvest States to install 520 feet of coated steel dock wall and apply coating to over a thousand feet of recently installed dock wall. These improvements will extend the working life of the facility for many years.
Created in 1979, the Harbour Assistance Program helps harbour communities maintain and improve waterborne commerce. Port projects typically involve dock reconstruction, mooring structure replacement, dredging and the construction of facilities to hold dredged material.
Since the programme began, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has administered more than US$57 million in matching funds for nearly 60 port preservation and improvement projects.
Successful projects must pass a rigorous cost/benefit analysis and must receive favorable recommendations from the state Harbor Advisory Council and the WisDOT Secretary.
Wisconsin’s harbours move 40 million tons of goods worth over US$7 billion each year and support 11,400 jobs. There are 21 ports in Wisconsin eligible for the Harbour Assistance Program.
