This project will construct a new inland river barge terminal at upper mississippi river mile marker 760 and develop the necessary access road and utilities to support its operation

The U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) awarded the City of Wabasha $4.63 million on November 6, 2025, through the Port Infrastructure Development Program (CFDA 20.823) to construct a new inland river barge terminal facility at Upper Mississippi River Mile Marker 760 in Wabasha, Minnesota. The project will be completed by August 29, 2029, and encompasses four primary components: (1) engineering, environmental assessment, final design, permitting, construction inspection, and grant administration; (2) land acquisition; (3) access channel and maneuvering area dredging; and (4) barge terminal construction including tree clearing, access road development, sheet pile dock wall installation, guide piles, dolphins, barge maneuvering systems, stormwater infrastructure, electrical utilities, and site stabilization.

The terminal infrastructure will include a truck turnaround and loadout area constructed above the 100-year flood elevation, electrical systems sized to support site lighting, mooring winches, and loadout equipment, and equipment foundations designed to accommodate the port operator's material handling equipment. The project is designed to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of cargo movement through the inland river port system and will be measured by Average Daily Truck Traffic (ADTT) volume as a performance metric of economic competitiveness. Assistance is provided on a reimbursable basis in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations Part 200.

Activities to be performed the project consists of four components with the following elements component 1 engineering and administration federal environmental assessment EA final engineering design and technical specifications permitting construction inspection contract administration and oversight punch list items project closeout documentation grant administration assistance including grant forms reporting compliance with marad requirements. Component 2 land acquisition land acquisition component 3 access channel and maneuvering area dredging access channel and maneuvering area dredging component 4 barge terminal construction tree clearing construction of access road screening berms truck turnaround and loadout area. The access road truck turnaround and loadout area will be built on fill material above the 100 year flood elevation construction of sheet pile dock wall construction of guide piles construction of dolphins and barge maneuvering systems construction of stormwater infrastructure including infiltration basins drainage ditches and culverts construction of equipment foundations. Foundations will be constructed to accommodate loadout equipment hoppers and conveyors provided by the port operator construction of electrical utilities. Electrical utilities will be sized to accommodate site lighting mooring winches and loadout equipment including a possible future electric material handler turf establishment and final site stabilization deliverables expected outcomes performance measure table from schedule G page 12 of the grant agreement measure average daily truck traffic adtt. Category and description economic competitiveness adtt measures the total volume of truck traffic per day as defined by the project study area. Measurement frequency quarterly. Measure gross tons. Category and description economic competitiveness the movement of gross tonnage of freight in the area defined by the project study area. Measurement frequency quarterly. Intended beneficiary city of wabasha. Subrecipient activities none.