Five Arkansas Ports Get Financial Boost

The Arkansas Waterways Commission said yesterday that five public ports in Arkansas have received more than $450,000 in grants.

“We received over $1.2 million in requests and wish we could fulfill all the requests, ” said Gene Higginbotham, Executive Director of the Arkansas Waterways Commission.

“We hope to have additional funds in the future. Developing our ports is critical to our state’s economic development.”

Under the program, ports can implement capital projects such as construction, improvement, capital facility rehabilitation and expansion of a public port facility. Dredging projects are also eligible, the release said.

The ports that received the grants are:

• Crossett Port, $50,000;
• Fort Smith Public Port Authority, $125,600;
• Helena-West Helena/Phillips County Port Authority, $50,000;
• Little Rock Port Authority, $100,000;
• Osceola Port Authority, $125,000.

The Arkansas Waterways Commission is the sole state agency responsible for developing, promoting and protecting waterborne transportation in Arkansas. It 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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