Buttigieg goes to Ohio River port to discuss grant for pier

Stefani Reynolds/AP

FILE - In this Jan. 21, 2021, file photo, Transportation Secretary nominee Pete Buttigieg speaks during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Stefani Reynolds/Pool via AP)

By: Associated Press

TELL CITY, Ind. (AP) — A $1.6 million federal grant will pay for the construction of a new southern Indiana pier on the Ohio River to be used for unloading of pig iron for a foundry.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg went to Tell City to discuss the grant and tour the Ohio River port.

The project will pay for building a 40-foot-diameter pier for a crane that will be used for direct barge-to-truck unloading of pig iron when the river is high.

The pig iron is a necessary raw material for Waupaca Foundry and other manufacturers. Federal officials say the pier will help increase port productivity by up to 60% and help maintain 1,000 jobs.