Governor Tony Evers (D) and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation recently issued more than $10 million in Harbor Assistance Program grants to five harbor maintenance and construction projects in La Crosse, La Pointe, Marinette, Green Bay, and Manitowoc.
[Above photo by Wisconsin DOT]
The improvements attained by those projects should help strengthen supply chain reliability, support waterborne freight, and assist with economic development in Wisconsin’s coastal communities, the governor noted.
“As billions of dollars of cargo move through our ports each year, maintaining and improving these critical parts of our state’s infrastructure is exceedingly important,” Gov. Evers said in a statement. “[Those projects] ensure Wisconsin’s businesses and producers can get products to market and we can keep building the 21st-century infrastructure we need to compete in a global economy.”
“The ripple effects of these grants will be felt statewide as we continue investing to strengthen Wisconsin’s maritime economy,” added Wisconsin DOT Secretary Kristina Boardman. “Supporting all modes of transportation is imperative to improving infrastructure and quality of life for residents and businesses across our state.”
Created in 1979, Wisconsin’s Harbor Assistance Program helps harbor communities maintain and improve waterborne commerce.
The agency said grant applications are reviewed by the Harbor Advisory Council, which includes members from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, University of Wisconsin Sea Grant, Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and alumni from the Great Lakes Maritime Research Institute.
Other state departments of transportation also seek to foster investments in a variety of harbor and water transportation projects.
For example, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet recently issued more than $6 million in state grants to four rail and two riverport projects to help increase economic opportunities, efficiency, and connectivity for industries statewide.
And in August 2024, the Michigan Department of Transportation issued $5 million via its Michigan Maritime and Port Facility Assistance Grant Program to five maritime projects that aim to help strengthen the state’s economic competitiveness, reduce the cost of freight transportation, improve reliability, and mitigate the impact of freight movement on the environment.
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