Port Authority project to be built near LaGrange

Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) Grant Information

The Lewis County Regional Port Authority, with the help of Chris Feeney from the Northeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission, filed an application for grant funding through the Maratime Administration of the US Department of Transportaion.

The application was due on April 30 and was a competitive grant process open to all ports across the nation. Both ocean ports and inland waterways ports applied. Rep. Sam Graves announced recently that the over 11 million dollar grant was awarded to Lewis County, Mo.

Lewis County IDA Director, Ralph Martin said "I would like to thank Congressman Sam Graves, as well as Bryan Nichols and Sara Graff from Congressman Graves’ office for all of their help in getting this across the finish line. They worked very hard on this because they know the kind of impact it will have on Lewis County and the entire Northeast Missouri Region."

The project itself will develop a multi modal port that will provide river, rail, and highway access on 100 acres of property that the Lewis County Regional Port Authority (LCRPA) purchased in the bottoms south of La Grange, Mo.

The total project cost will be $13.8 million and will cover such Pre Construction Tasks as permitting, environmental studies, engineering, wetland mitigation, and surveying. The Construction and Equipment costs will include 200 feet of sheet wall dock, river dolphins, roll on roll off ramp, concrete work pad, dump pits and conveyor system, material handling equipment, and road improvements.

Martin said, "We were able to couple MoDot Multimodal Capital Improvement Grant Funds with the federal funds available through the PIDP program. So a local contribution of $500,000.00 that will be split evenly between The Lewis County Regional Port Authority and our partner Legacy Maratime will secure $11 million of federal funding, and $2.2 million of state funding and start the ball rolling for an asset that will forever change Lewis County and Northeast Missouri.