AASHTO Journal - Illinois DOT Supports New Fertilizer Distribution Center

The Illinois Department of Transportation recently joined Governor J.B. Pritzker (D), as well as other state and local leaders, at the Shawneetown Regional Port District to break ground on a new fertilizer distribution center project along the Ohio River.

[Above photo by the Illinois DOT]

This $12.6 million fertilizer terminal project seeks to boost regional freight activity, create jobs, and reinvigorate economic opportunity in the region. Illinois DOT is helping build a new main entrance road, eliminating a bottleneck for trucks and making the Shawneetown port a more attractive option than Ohio River ports in Indiana and Kentucky.

The new facility will also make local agriculture operations more efficient by reducing the traveling distance to the next closest port, resulting in improved safety as well as less wear and tear on local roads.

“The Shawneetown Regional Port will soon be revitalized with new activity – moving millions of pounds of fertilizer for Illinois’ thriving agriculture industry,” said the governor in a statement.

“Freight is the lifeblood of Illinois, fueling billions in economic activity and supporting millions of jobs on the ground, through the air, and over our rivers,” added Illinois DOT Secretary Gia Biagi. “These improvements in Shawneetown will only grow those numbers and make southeastern Illinois an even better place to work and do business.”

Shawneetown Port has undergone significant renovations in recent years to advance the region’s participation in the global marketplace, noted Illinois DOT, and this new facility aims to not only bring much needed jobs to southeastern Illinois but also bring better pricing and supply of fertilizer to Illinois farmers.

The project will create a new hub – partly built from repurposed river infrastructure once used to facilitate coal shipments – where fertilizer can be received, stored, blended, and transported via barges and trucks.

After construction concludes in 2026, the new facility is expected to create nearly 50 jobs, ranging from barge workers and truck drivers to new positions at the port district.