Senator Bill Cassidy announced the state has secured upwards of $13-million for a number of projects at the Port of South Louisiana.
Called "Globalplex Multi-Modal Connections Project", the cash will pay for a new bridge to expedite the movement of heavy cargoes, construct an access road, build a rail spur and establish a dry storage area and install conveyors to move bulk materials like coal, stone, or grains at the Globalplex facility in Reserve.
The Port of South Louisiana project is just one of 55 like projects the grant money is being distributed to across the country.
Cassidy's office says the improvement project at the Port will extend the facility's useful life by more than 20-years.
Improved efficiency is the aim by allowing better vessel transportation and expanding bulk exposts of agricultural products from Louisiana.
U.S. Senator John Kennedy says Port of South Louisiana "helps drive the state and national economies in a big way.
He says, "I’m excited to see this grant create and protect jobs in LaPlace and around the region."
By tonnage moved, the Port is the largest in the Western Hemisphere.
In 2019, the Port moved 258 million tons of cargo, serving 3,945 oceangoing ships and 54,921 barges.
“Our ports are an integral component of our nation’s economic success,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao said. “As the administration continues to invest in America’s infrastructure, this program will further modernize and improve the efficiency of our waterways.”