America’s Central Port awarded EDA grant for rail spur

Office of Rep. Mike Bost

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded a $2.27 million grant to America’s Central Port in Granite City, Ill., which will fund improvements to the port’s rail infrastructure.

The grant will help construct a rail spur, rail uploading pit and driveway improvements to serve the primary harbor storage building. In addition, the project will repair and renovate the site to allow the port to attract new tenants to the property, which will bring in new investment, jobs and related economic activity to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.

U.S. Representative Mike Bost (R-IL-12), who toured the facility on Aug. 10, said, “America’s Central Port supports [more than] 1,000 jobs and has a massive economic impact on the Metro East region. Our community will continue to experience economic growth as the port expands through both private investment and grants like this.”

According to the EDA, the total project cost is estimated to be $3.27 million and it will create 16 jobs, save another 32 jobs and leverage $1.2 million in private investment.

America’s Central Port also benefited from an EDA grant in 2017, which helped to construct approximately 2,200 feet of rail track at the port’s intermodal industrial park. The port completed a project at the end of 2016, which added 4.5 miles of rail to its facilities.