Semo Port secures dredging grant

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded $400,000 to the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority based in Scott City to support dredging activity in the harbor, according to a release Thursday from U.S. Rep. Jason Smith (R-8).

"It's not just our rural economy in Southeast Missouri that depends on small ports like Semo Port but our entire inland waterway commerce system," said Smith. "Our small ports cannot be left behind. I'm thankful the Corps has awarded this funding to support the farmers and small businesses rely on the port to get their goods to market."

"Inland ports are the access points and can even be called the on-ramps to the marine highway system," said Cary G. Harbison, Semo Port executive director. "Without these on-ramps, it greatly diminishes the overall value and function of the marine highway system. Semo Port is one of those access points and we are very excited to hear that funding was made available by the Corps to complete the dredging of the harbor in 2021. Keeping the harbor open when lower water conditions occur is very important to the area."

Located on the Mississippi River, Semo Port offers slackwater harbor, public terminals, interstate highway access, switching railroad - Union Pacific (UP) and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) -- plus industrial sites and utilities.

Three years ago, Smith and retiring U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt helped secure $19.8 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation for completion of a loop track terminal to increase Semo Port's capacity.