Grants Awarded to Arkansas Public Ports
LITTLE ROCK, AR (August 29, 2018) — The Arkansas Waterways Commission's Arkansas Port, Intermodal, and Waterway Development Grant Program benefits the public ports by reinvesting the ad valorem tax paid by industries on the value of the barges utilizing Arkansas' navigable waterways. This grant provides funds for public ports and intermodal authorities to make capital improvements and facilitates much-needed dredging projects.
Four projects were awarded grant funding as follows:
- Fort Smith Port Authority to complete a 30,000 sq ft bulk storage structure “Latture Warehouse”
- Little Rock Port Authority to construct a secure 4.14-acre outside storage yard to expand existing storage area and installation of perimeter fencing with gates.
- Osceola Port Authority to secure dock and repair/upgrade conveyors.
- White River Regional Port Authority to advance with phase II of a 3-phase process to construct access to the port site.
“This grant program increases Arkansas’ competitive advantage on the nation’s inland river system to entice increased waterborne commerce for the navigable rivers in Arkansas,” says Deidre Smith, Director. “The waterways are an economic driver for the state and water transportation is the most cost-effective, safe, and environmentally friendly mode of shipping bulk and oversized cargo.” The grant was established by Act 1483 of the 89th General Assembly. A copy of the grant rules and application can be obtained in the news section of the Commission’s website, waterways.arkansas.gov.
The Arkansas Waterways Commission is the sole state agency responsible for developing, promoting and protecting waterborne transportation in Arkansas. The Commission also promotes economic development for ports on the five commercially navigable rivers of the state: the Arkansas, Mississippi, Ouachita, Red and White Rivers.
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10600 Industrial Harbor Rd, Little Rock, AR 72206
