Port of Columbia receives $15M infrastructure grant supporting Louisiana Green Fuels

In Louisiana, Strategic Biofuels and the Port of Columbia in Caldwell Parish (Port) have jointly announced that the Port has received a $15 million infrastructure improvement grant. The grant, intended to fund site improvements, is from the Louisiana Port Construction and Development Priority Program, which is administered by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD).

The Port of Columbia is the site of Strategic Biofuels’ Louisiana Green Fuels (LGF) Project, and the grant will enhance the Port’s accessibility, serviceability and covers three areas of site improvement:

• • Riverton Camp Road upgrade. Upgrading the current site access road to heavy industrial grade is an early requirement as it will provide immediate plant construction site entry. This work is being designed by the Port’s engineering firm Bryant Hammett & Associates, who are based in Ferriday, Louisiana. Construction for the upgrade is expected to begin mid-summer 2022.
• • Rail spur construction. A 37-car rail spur will be constructed to allow access to the Union Pacific mainline that borders the port site. Engineering design, which is funded by LGF has been completed by Hatch and construction expected to begin in 2023.
• • Rail overpass construction. In conjunction with LGF and DOTD, the Port has developed a thoughtful traffic pattern to ensure safe and efficient access for forestry transport trucks to and from the future plant site. The design work is being performed by Meyer, Meyer, LaCroix & Hixson, Inc., who are headquartered in Alexandria, Louisiana, and previously designed the Highway 165 rail overpass just north of the Port. Ensuring maximum traffic safety, the design features a new rail overpass directly into the site and a US Hwy 165 underpass using the existing highway rail overpass along with a traffic circle, eliminating all truck left turns, at-grade rail crossings and stop signs. Construction of the rail overpass is expected to begin in 2023.