Ports of Indiana has received a $25 million federal BUILD grant — its largest in 65 years — to expand the Jeffersonville port on the Ohio River. The $32 million project, scheduled for completion in 2028, will install a 300-ton crane, a 6,500-square-foot dock, and a 22,000-square-foot warehouse. Lift capacity will surge from 35 to 300 tons, rising over 800%, while barge-rail transloading capacity doubles. The upgrade marks Jeffersonville’s largest infrastructure investment since opening in 1985 and establishes its first general cargo facility outside the floodplain.
Ports of Indiana has been awarded a $25 million federal BUILD grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation – the largest federal award in its 65-year history – to support a $32 million expansion of its Jeffersonville port.
The grant is more than double the previous high for any Indiana port, and is Jeffersonville’s largest single infrastructure investment since opening in 1985.
Plans call for more than doubling the facility’s general cargo footprint and increasing lift capacity from 35 tons to 300 tons.
State and federal leadership endorse project
“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,” said Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, in a statement. “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 U.S. Department of Transportation this week awarded $1.73 billion in BUILD (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development) grants to 127 projects from 1,200 applications.
Infrastructure upgrades detailed
At Jeffersonville, one of three state-run ports, the grant will fund a major redevelopment of an underutilized area along the Ohio River into a high-volume multimodal terminal. The project includes 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,” said Ports of Indiana Chief Executive Jody Peacock. “We are deeply grateful to the U.S. Department of Transportation for this award, and to our federal, state and local port partners who helped make this project possible. 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.”
Timeline and impact metrics
At completion in 2028, the expansion will increase lift capacity by more than 800%, double barge-rail transloading capacity, and establish the port’s first general cargo facility located outside the floodplain.
The project will also more than double the facility’s general cargo footprint — a direct response to growing demand for inland waterway access and multimodal integration in the Midwest logistics corridor.
Jeffersonville’s location on the Ohio River positions it as a strategic node connecting the Mississippi River system with Class I railroads and interstate highways — a nexus critical to serving manufacturing clusters across southern Indiana and Kentucky.
Source: FreightWaves
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
