SE Illinois News

State Senator Dale Fowler has been briefed on the progress of the Cairo Port District project in Southern Illinois. The project, which has been in planning for nearly a decade, aims to boost economic development and establish the port as a national hub for river commerce.

"Planning for the Alexander-Cairo Port District has been ongoing for nearly a decade," said Senator Fowler. "Local, state and federal officials have been working to secure funding and advance the next stages of the project, which are expected to generate economic development, as well as possibly establish the Port District as a National hub for river commerce."

Senator Fowler received documents indicating that the Alexander-Cairo Port District secured a strategic planning grant from the Delta Regional Authority at the end of 2023. This grant was awarded to Bacon Farmer Workman (BFW) Engineering to plan further developments on the Mississippi River. Concurrently, HDR Engineering was contracted to conduct Phase I of a Preliminary Environmental Site Assessment.

The strategic planning grant involves several key tasks: examining historical information about the Cairo Levee System's condition and meeting with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Memphis Levee Safety Officials to assess levee recertification status. USACE aims to certify the levee by February 2026.

In July 2024, discussions with USACE St. Louis District focused on potential navigational impacts due to waterside infrastructure development. A navigational study was recommended and conducted by Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI), with simulations performed on January 29, 2025; results are pending.

Polaris Analytics Consulting was hired to analyze Commodity Flows, Competitiveness and Opportunities for potential commodities that could become customers at the port. This analysis is complete but currently under review by BFW and the Alexander-Cairo Port District.

Senator Fowler remarked that findings so far favor developing a port considering diversified commodity types, stakeholder recruitment of customers, environmental factors, design work, and phased implementation based on customer needs.