Mississippi is aiming to ride the wave of economic development with a key infrastructure investment being announced Wednesday. Gov. Tate Reeves announced a new $12,857,143 investment to upgrade the Yellow Creek State Inland Port in Iuka.
The port plays a key role in the Magnolia State’s transportation network, with the initiative aiming to enhance multimodal commerce along the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and strengthen Mississippi’s waterway network.
The project will include an extensive renovation of the port’s 400-foot transload dock and an addition of 212 feet, allowing the facility to handle larger loads. Four new mooring cells and rail modifications will also be added, enabling streamlined intermodal transfers across water, rail, and truck networks.
A new 700-ton material-handling crane is also included in the enhancements, doubling the current lift capacity, which will greatly cut barge processing times.
“This investment is a vital step in modernizing our port infrastructure and ensuring that Mississippi remains competitive in the global marketplace,” Reeves said. “By renovating and expanding a key inland port, we are not only doubling its operation capacity but also reducing shipping costs and increasing efficiency – benefiting local businesses, creating jobs, and further solidifying Mississippi’s economic future.”
A three-way partnership makes up the funding for the project, primarily through the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies, which works to “drive large-scale, regional economic transformation through multi-state collaborative projects across Appalachia.”
ARC is investing a total of $9 million for the project, with $2.5 million provided through the Mississippi State Multimodal Infrastructure Fund and $1,357,143 from the Yellow Creek State Port Authority.
Yellow Creek Port is strategically located near the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Tombigbee Waterway, offering an efficient, cost-effective gateway to the Gulf of Mexico and linking the Gulf with markets across the Appalachian Region and beyond.
“By investing in our port infrastructure, we are setting the stage for a new era of economic transformation in Mississippi and the entire Appalachian Region,” Reeves continued. “This project exemplifies our commitment to creating resilient, future-ready infrastructure that drives job growth and attracts new investment.”
