$25M federal grant to help Ports of Indiana expand Jeffersonville port

It's the largest federal investment in Ports of Indiana's 65-year history, and the largest single-infrastructure investment in the Jeffersonville port since its opening in 1985.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The Jeffersonville port in southern Indiana just got a boost in funding for a massive expansion project.

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the Ports of Indiana a $25 million BUILD grant to support a $32 million expansion of the Jeffersonville port.

The funding will help more than double the port's cargo footprint and increase its lift capacity from 35 tons to 300 tons.

"Indiana's ports are essential to keeping our economy moving, and this $25 million BUILD grant is a major investment in our state's future," Gov. Mike Braun said in a news release. "Expanding our Jeffersonville port's capacity to move cargo by river, rail and truck will create new opportunities for Indiana manufacturers, farmers and businesses while supporting high-quality jobs across southern Indiana."

The port project will redevelop "an underutilized area along the Ohio River into a high-volume multimodal terminal."

In addition to increasing the port's cargo footprint, the project will also add a new 300-ton crane system, a 6,500-square-foot dock and a 22,000-square-foot warehouse "designed to improve operational efficiency and expand heavy-lift and breakbulk capabilities."

"This is a transformational project for our Jeffersonville port and the entire southern Indiana region," Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock said in a statement. "This investment will dramatically increase the port's capacity to handle larger steel and project cargoes, increase storage and operational efficiencies, lower transportation costs for regional industry, and strengthen Jeffersonville's position as one of the Midwest's premier multimodal freight hubs for decades to come."

It's the largest federal investment in Ports of Indiana's 65-year history, and the largest single-infrastructure investment in the Jeffersonville port since its opening in 1985.

When it's finished, the expansion will increase the port's lift capacity by more than 800%, double barge-rail transloading capacity and establish its first general cargo facility located outside the floodplain.

The expansion is expected to be complete in 2028.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's BUILD program "provides competitive federal funding for transportation infrastructure projects with significant regional and national economic impact."