Indiana port nears completion of rail, infrastructure projects

Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon is nearing completion of $1.2 million in infrastructure improvements launched last year.

The projects represent the largest annual capital investment at the Mount Vernon port since 2020 and nearly twice the combined total investments of 2021 and 2022, Ports of Indiana officials said in a news release.



The 2023 infrastructure projects included:
• the installation of 1,360 new railroad ties and new rail switches;
• asphalt repairs on Port Road, the port’s main artery; and
• underwater inspections of over 500 feet of dock wall along Piers 2 and 3, plus 12 mooring dolphins and 18 marine cells;
• the purchase of a winch system for positioning barges at the general cargo dock; and
• the purchase of a new snowplow truck.

The final 2023 project is the replacement of a double-track grade crossing on Bluff Road that's scheduled for completion soon.

Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon is the state’s largest port in terms cargo shipments and acreage. The port handles about 6 million tons of cargo per year.

The port in Mount Vernon offers 24-hour rail service provided by Evansville Western Railway, with direct interchanges to five Class Is and 8 miles of railroad on-port property.