Duckworth, Durbin Announce Funding to Kaskaskia Regional Port District

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $1,008,750 in federal funding to Kaskaskia Regional Port District, located in Red Bud, IL, and one of the largest inland ports in the country. Today’s federal investment through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Maritime Administration’s America’s Marine Highway Program will support the purchase of eight shuttle cars to make cargo movement more efficient and reduce congestion.

“Located on the Mississippi and Kaskaskia Rivers, Kaskaskia Regional Port District serves as a critical part of Southern Illinois’s economy,” Duckworth said. “Today’s announcement will help ensure they have the resources needed to increase operations and improve their infrastructure, as well as to lower carbon emissions. I was proud to support this project and will continue working to secure investments that help us rebuild our state’s infrastructure and strengthen Illinois’s competitive economic edge.”

“The Kaskaskia Regional Port District has played a pivotal role in our nation’s commerce for generations,” said Durbin. “Yet, as our economy has grown and evolved, so have the challenges it faces. This federal funding will increase efficiency and sustainability at Kaskaskia by modernizing our transportation networks and streamlining the movement of goods through them”

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Maritime Administration (MARAD) focuses on supporting our nation’s array of navigable waterways, which include rivers, coasts, the Great Lakes and more—a network also known as the United States' marine highway. The United States Marine Highway Program distributes grants to organizations and businesses to expand the use of these waters.

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