FORT WAYNE – Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) applauds the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) $25 million Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant to Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville.
The grant will support a $32 million expansion that will modernize the port, strengthen Indiana’s manufacturing economy, and improve freight movement across the Ohio River. The project is the largest federal grant in Ports of Indiana’s 65-year history and will more than double the Jeffersonville port’s general cargo capacity. The expansion includes a new 300-ton crane system, a 6,500-square-foot barge dock, and a 22,000-square-foot warehouse, significantly increasing the port’s ability to move heavy cargo by rail, river, and truck.
Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said, “This investment is a major win for Indiana. Modernizing the Jeffersonville port will strengthen American manufacturing, support Hoosier jobs, and keep Indiana at the forefront of logistics and commerce.
Project Highlights:
- Secures a $25 million BUILD grant from the DOT to support a $32 million expansion.
- Represents the largest federal grant in the Ports of Indiana History.
- Increases the port’s lift capacity from 35 tons to 300 tons.
- More than doubles the port’s general cargo footprint.
- Adds a new 300-ton crane, a 6,500-square-foot barge dock, and a 22,000-square-foot warehouse.
- Expands the port’s multimodal capabilities by improving connections between river, rail, and truck transportation.
- Project completion is expected in 2028.
Background:
The BUILD program provides competitive federal funding for transportation infrastructure projects with significant regional and national economic impact. This year, the DOT awarded $1.73 billion in BUILD grants to 127 projects nationwide.
The Jeffersonville expansion will transform an underutilized section of the port into a high-capacity multimodal freight terminal, more than doubling barge-to-rail transloading capacity while establishing the port’s first general cargo facility outside the floodplain. The investment will improve supply chain reliability, lower transportation costs for regional industries, and reinforce Indiana’s role as one of the nation’s leading logistics and manufacturing hubs.
