Page 42: of Marine News Magazine (February 2018)

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INLAND PORT DEVELOPMENT

Designated in 2016 by the U.S. Department of the In- terior as a National Historic Landmark, the Badger has served these communities for over 60 years. But, like many other sectors of our inland port infrastructure, docking facilities in both port cities are showing their age and in dire need of repairs. Thanks to the recent approval of a

USDOT FASTLANE grant along with State funding ac- quired through the Wisconsin Harbor Assistance Program across the country. In the ? rst call for FASTLANE grants, (HAP), ? nancial support for revitalization is now ? rmly USDOT received 212 applications requesting nearly $9.8 in place. A new chapter in this decades old story is about billion for grants, 13 times more funding than was available. to begin. Of the 212 applications, 136 represented projects in urban areas, while the remaining 76 supported rural projects.

In other words, the competition for funding was extreme-

The FASTLANE Program

Originally called Fostering Advancements in Shipping ly tough. In fact, the grant award for the SS Badger was the and Transportation for the Long-term Achievement of Na- only non-rail project approved – a testament to the unique tional Ef? ciencies, the federal FASTLANE grant program nature of the two docking facilities and the multi-state ef- was developed to fund critical freight and highway projects forts that de? ne this collaborative and worthwhile project.

February 2018 42 MN