Gazebo Gazette
The Mississippi State Port Authority is receiving $15.76 million in grant money from the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) to advance highway access to the Port of Gulfport. Additionally, improvement to 30th Avenue in Gulfport and a bridge over Highway 90.
“The Port of Gulfport is critically important to the Mississippi Gulf Coast economy, as well as the economy of the Southeastern United States,” U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) said. “This grant will improve access to the port, making it a more attractive option for commerce and trade and improving safety for employees and visitors to the Coast.”
The total project cost is expected to be $19.7 million, with a local match of $3.94 million provided by the Mississippi State Port Authority. The DOT grant is being awarded to the Mississippi State Port Authority as part of the Port Infrastructure Development Program. Wicker, U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and U.S. Representative Steven Palazzo (R-MS) wrote letters of support for the project to the agency.
“The Port of Gulfport plays a vital role in South Mississippi’s economy, and I know this grant will foster in a full-scale modernization effort to improve daily operations and increase commercial growth through necessary infrastructure improvements,” said Mississippi’s Fourth Congressional District Rep. Palazzo. “I am proud to support the work taking place at the Port of Gulfport, and I appreciate the president’s support for South Mississippi’s economic prosperity.”
Gulfport’s Port is a top 25 U.S. container port and the second-largest importer of green fruit in the nation. It has been designated by the U.S. Department of Defense as one of 17 Strategic Seaports given its significance to military operations, and recently completed a $570 million restoration and expansion project.
