An Arkansas river port will receive $8.1 million in federal funds to modernize and expand rail capacity after a destructive 2019 flood.
The funding was secured through the passage of various appropriations packages.
Five Rivers Distribution, which operates the port and neighboring Port of Van Buren, plans to build three, 30,000-square-foot warehouses to handle freight arriving by rail, according to local media.
The barge, truck and rail port bordering Oklahoma handles approximately 1,000 railcars annually, including inbound bulk feeds, poultry and cattle feed supplement, and wire coils used in manufacturing. It is served by the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, with connections to Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP), BNSF (BRK-B) and CPKC (NYSE: CP)
The warehouse design process has begun, with completion set for the first quarter of 2027.
The city’s port authority has to match 20%, or $1.62 million, of the federal funding.
The 28-acre port was all but destroyed in the 2019 Arkansas River flood, which crested more than 40 feet above flood stage. By 2024 the port authority spent more than $6 million on restoration from grants, insurance payouts, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A $1.7 million, 30,000-square-foot bulk storage warehouse was partially funded by a $500,000 grant from the Arkansas Waterways Commission.
The commission in 2025 granted a further $1.8 million for construction of a 20,000-square-foot warehouse and bulk storage pad.
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Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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