WASHINGTON (KFVS) - The federal government plans to make a big investment at a transportation hub in the Heartland, and a local farmer is excited about the investment.
The Southeast Regional Port Authority was awarded a $19.8 million grant through the Department of Transportation this week.
According to SEMO Port Executive Director Cary Harbison, the funding will go toward the construction of two 12,000 foot long loops of rail road track near the transportation hub.
This week the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority honored Congressman Smith for his work to enhance rural infrastructure in southeast Missouri.
Harbison says the new infrastructure make it easier to transfer tons of product from rail cars to river barges, and vice versa.
“There are loops available in St. Louis and down by Memphis, but in our general area this would be the only public loop track facility available, such that any customer can come to us,” Harbison said.
Farmer Kevin Fennewald manages a grain bin complex in Scott County.
He says the proposed railway loop at SEMO Port could lower his cost to transport rice and thinks it would in turn boost the local economy which is mainly driven by agriculture industry.
Harbison, says the loop track will SEMO Port the flexibility to unload unit trains, which can have more than 100 cars of one or two products.
From there he says they could put directly onto a river barge which Harbison says the cheapest way transport goods.
Harbison tells me the local Port Authority moves up to 1.5 million tons of goods each year with all modes of transportation. He is optimistic they can increase that amount by using the loop track.
Harbison said the Port can start using the $20 million federal grant after they complete the agreement process, which takes about a year.
But the transportation authority has already started grading work where the first sections of loop track will be built.
Two Federal lawmakers from Missouri also praised the decision for the US Department of Transportation to allow SEMO Port to be part of the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program.