Nixon touts railroad upgrade at SEMO Port

The Southeast Missouri Regional Port would benefit from Gov. Jay Nixon’s proposed fiscal year 2017 budget, which would increase spending on Missouri’s public ports by $5 million.

The additional money would raise state spending on capital improvements at the state’s ports to $8 million for the coming fiscal year.

The governor talked about port funding during a visit to the regional port Thursday afternoon. Before addressing port and area officials at the Southeast Missouri Port Authority office, Nixon toured SEMO Milling, a corn-milling company at the Mississippi River port.

Nixon’s budget plan includes $296,000 to help raise almost a half-mile of railroad track four feet to move it above normal flood levels.

That section of track, which serves the Scott City port, is near the Diversion Channel, which frequently floods.

Dan Overbey, executive director of the Scott City port, said he hopes the Missouri Legislature will approve the funding to allow the track project to proceed this year.

Overbey added the port is self-supporting and has been since 1997.

The port authority’s revenue comes from property rental and barge tonnage fees, he said.

“We are basically a land developer,” Overbey said of the port authority.

The local port authority is one of 14 such authorities statewide. Missouri’s ports link 1,000 miles of access on rivers with railroads, highways, airports and pipelines to move Missouri commodities, goods and materials around the world, Nixon said.

“The scale and scope of what’s right here is truly impressive,” the governor told area officials and members of the port authority.

“You send things around the world from right here,” Nixon added. He called the local port “one of the best-developed ports in the state.”

Nixon said the port is an example of how a publicly owned facility helps the economy grow.

Over the past two years, Missouri has experienced some of its largest amounts of exports ever, Nixon said, adding exports total about $14 billion annually.

“Much of what Missouri produces moves by water,” Nixon said. “You are competing with everybody in the world right here.”

The widening of the Panama Canal, which is expected to be completed soon, will boost Missouri exports because larger ships will be able to travel through the canal, Nixon said.

“Strengthening and expanding our ports will help Missouri farmers and manufacturers reach those worldwide markets in a cost-effective manner,” he said.

An added benefit is moving goods by barge reduces truck traffic, saving wear and tear on the state’s highways, Nixon said.

Moving goods by barge is also energy-efficient, he said.

“Ports are an excellent investment for our transportation system,” he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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10 Bill Bess Drive, Scott City, Mo.