Sen. Dale Fowler is optimistic about the benefits from deal for an inland port project. | File Photo
Sen. Dale Fowler is optimistic about the benefits from deal for an inland port project. | File Photo
A labor agreement reached between the Alexander Cairo Port District and the Illinois AFL-CIO calls for creating 500 union construction jobs connected with a new inland port project at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.
The agreement is an essential step for what will be a crucial asset in southern Illinois.
"I am confident that Alexander-Cairo port will be game-changing for our state, spurring additional economic development and growth," Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) said in a Facebook post April 27. "With such a big undertaking, we could not move forward with this project without the incredible local labor workforce of Southern Illinois spearheading its development."
WSIL reported that local Illinois union workers would be prioritized for the new jobs created by the agreement.
Given its important location along two major rivers and a state border, Cairo sees 80% of the nation’s inland barge traffic sail by.
Three interstate highways and Class 1 rail lines serve the vicinity of the project, so it's on the U.S. shipping and logistics industry, and the regional economy is expected to be huge.
The $40 million financially supporting the project was allocated from the Rebuild Illinois capital plan.
The funding was augmented by additional private investment.
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