Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) | File Photo
Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) | File Photo
A labor agreement reached between the Alexander Cairo Port District and the Illinois AFL-CIO calls for the creation of 500 union construction jobs in connection with a new inland port project at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.
The agreement is an important step for what will be a key 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) wrote in a Facebook post on 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 highly prioritized for the new jobs created by the agreement.
Given its key location along two major rivers and a state border, Alexander 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. 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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