West Calcasieu Port, Louisiana
The West Calcasieu Port recevied a $4.2 million grant, awarded by the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, reported Gov. John Bel Edwards.
The EDA grant, targeting infrastructure affected by Hurricane Harvey, will be matched by $1.1 million in local funds.
The project results from regional planning efforts led by the Imperial Calcasieu Regional Planning and Development Commission, and was funded by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, in which Congress appropriated $600 million to the EDA for disaster relief and recovery as a result of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and other 2017 natural disasters under the Stafford Act.
“Ports are an essential element of our economy and support one of every five jobs in our state,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “For every dollar invested in port infrastructure, we see a return of eight dollars in taxes, jobs and benefits for Louisiana. That’s why our administration doubled capital spending in our Port Priority Program through DOTD. We’re grateful that the U.S. Commerce Department agrees and has prioritized these improvements at the West Calcasieu Port to strengthen its infrastructure and build capacity for more growth.”
The grant will improve 600 linear feet of bulkhead on the north side of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway at the port, as well as the installation of a pad that will support heavy-duty cranes. The port averages daily fleeting of 130 barges, and the crane and bulkhead improvements will help it become a more significant player in transporting large industrial modules for the liquefied natural gas industry and related plant construction, according to West Calcasieu Port Director Lynn Hohensee.
The port is strategically located 1.5 miles west of the Calcasieu Ship Channel, where LNG industrial development and major module traffic is concentrated.
The Imperial Calcasieu Regional Planning and Development Commission, or IMCAL, played a vital leadership role in helping the West Calcasieu Port secure the EDA grant, said President Dick Kennison of the West Calcasieu Port Board of Commissioners.
