The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) has awarded the Duluth Seaway Port Authority $27.5 million through its Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) to fund the Duluth Lake Port pier redevelopment project.
The award, which received bipartisan support from Minnesota’s congressional delegation, is the largest MARAD grant ever received by the Port Authority. It will be supplemented by $10.8 million in secured state and local funds, bringing the total project investment to approximately $38.3 million.
The project will transform the 7.5-acre Duluth Lake Port pier on Rice’s Point—a strategic waterfront property the Port Authority acquired in 2020—into a future-ready supply chain asset. Work will include reconstruction of approximately 1,150 linear feet of dock wall, demolition of grain elevators out of service since 2015, and the installation of new water service and stormwater management systems to prepare the site for freight-related redevelopment.
“This MARAD grant represents a major investment in the Port of Duluth-Superior and the region’s supply chain infrastructure,” said Kevin Beardsley, executive director, Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “It will be the catalyst in revitalizing a strategic pier complex in the heart of Duluth’s working waterfront, and positioning it to be a vibrant asset for the port, the surrounding region, and the nation as a whole.
“We’re grateful and excited about the positive impact this investment will have throughout our community, and broadly, for our nation’s supply chain and maritime infrastructure.”
The revitalized pier will leverage three strategic advantages: on-dock rail service connecting to multiple Class I railroads, vessel berthing capacity on two docks at Seaway depth, and a location at the heart of North America’s farthest-inland seaport.
Construction at the Duluth Lake Port pier can begin once a grant agreement is finalized with MARAD, a process that can take multiple months. The site work timeline is approximately two to three years.
(Photo by David Schauer)