Young Announces $1.2 Million for the TPG Chicago Dry Dock LLC Project
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Representatives Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.-09) and Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.-01) announced that TPG Chicago Dry Dock LLC will receive a $1.2 million Maritime Administration Small Shipyard Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). This grant will aid in the construction of the largest dry dock in the Lower Lake Michigan region. In May, the Senators and Representatives wrote a letter to MARAD Administrator Mark H. Buzby in support of TPG Chicago Dry Dock’s construction project, which highlighted the substantial economic impact for the Great Lakes and U.S. Inland Waterways.
“TPG Chicago Dry Dock’s construction of the largest dry dock in the Lower Lake Michigan area is a necessary project for job creation, workforce training, and the commercial waterways system,” said Senator Young. “The new dry dock will not only expand repair services to larger vessels in the Lake Michigan region, but it will position the TPG Chicago Dry Dock facility to offer unburdened access to both the Great Lakes and U.S. Inland Waterways markets in Northwest Indiana.”
“Funding for this dry dock construction project is a big win for Hoosiers in northwest Indiana thanks to efforts on both sides of Lake Michigan and both sides of the aisle from Senator Young, Senator Duckworth, Senator Durbin, Representative Visclosky, and Representative Hollingsworth,” said Senator Braun.
“Investing in Illinois’s infrastructure is one of my top priorities in the U.S. Senate,” said Senator Duckworth. “This grant will help vessel operators on the Great Lakes and the Illinois River make repairs in a timely manner. I’m glad to support this project and will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to maximize our region’s competitiveness.”
“Today’s federal funding is welcome news to both Illinois and Indiana, as it will help improve infrastructure at one of the most impressive dry docks in the Lake Michigan region,” said Senator Durbin. “This grant funding will also create jobs and grow the Great Lakes region’s economy by keeping our waterways a welcoming and efficient hub for business transport.”
“I congratulate TPG Chicago Dry Dock for their successful initiative to expand and improve the efficiency of our regional maritime operations,” said Congressman Visclosky.“I appreciate that this federal grant assistance will provide increased job opportunities and economic activity for Northwest Indiana businesses and the steel industry.”
Click hereto learn more about this project and DOT’s Maritime Administration Small Shipyard Grants program.