LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Joseph Bellino applauded the announcement that the Port of Monroe will get $1.5 million to build a new dock capable of accommodating larger ships and handling more cargo.
“This funding will help improve the efficiency of the Port of Monroe — and, in doing so, support long-term economic growth and high-wage jobs for area workers,” said Bellino, R-Monroe. “This critical infrastructure improvement will help the port better compete with ports in other Great Lakes states while also helping Michigan businesses by reducing the cost of shipping goods and products.”
The Monroe port is one of five facilities that received funding from the Michigan Maritime and Port Facility Assistance Grant Program on Tuesday by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). The projects were competitively selected to make strategic investments in Michigan’s maritime system.
The Port of Monroe is Michigan’s only port on Lake Erie and will receive a $1.5 million grant toward a nearly $3.65 million project for construction of a roll-on/roll-off dock. The new dock will be capable of accommodating any seaway-size vessel importing and exporting diverse and oversize/overweight cargoes.
Legislation creating the Maritime and Port Facility Assistance Grant Program was signed into law in 2022. The fiscal year 2024 budget for MDOT includes a one-time appropriation of $5 million for the program.
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