Illinois recently awarded funds for 22 port, rail and highway projects across the state through the 2023 Illinois Competitive Freight Program, which is funded through the Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act, known by many as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal. 

Among the projects is $4.3 million for the Kaskaskia Regional Port District. 

Headquartered in Red Bud, the district has four ports in the Kaskaskia River and one in the Mississippi River. 

The district will use its grant to double its track underneath a crane at the facility between Red Bud and Baldwin on the Kaskaskia River. 

KRPD General Manager Ed Weilbacher said the project should reduce congestion and improve safety and efficiency. 

For more on the KRPD, visit kaskaskiaport.com.