DRA announces $2 million investment to strengthen Arkansas’s transportation infrastructure

CLARKSDALE, Miss. (News Release) – Today, the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) announced a $2 million investment to support transportation infrastructure improvements at the Port of Little Rock.  

The Port of Little Rock is the largest industrial hub in central Arkansas with over 40 businesses employing over 4,000 people, and it serves as a logistical hub for the area having immediate access to rail, highway, and waterway.  The DRA’s investment will aid these current businesses at the Little Rock Port Authority Industrial Park, and also provide necessary updates to attract new industries to the area. The investment is necessary to recruit new distribution and manufacturing facilities that will employ an anticipated over 1,500 additional jobs to the area next year. 

“The Delta Regional Authority’s investment at the Port of Little Rock is the exact project our dollars are meant for:  supporting transportation infrastructure and industry-driven job creation,” said Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Caldwell.  “The DRA’s investment improves roadways for a major transportation and logistical hub in Arkansas, and it is a vital component in supporting Arkansas’s workforce and attracting new industry and jobs to the Delta region.”

Arkansas’s congressional delegation issued the following statements:

“Improvements to infrastructure promote economic expansion and job growth. This investment at the Port of Little Rock enhances a vital resource for current businesses and the local jobs they support, and will also contribute to long-term development in the region,” Senator John Boozman said.

“I appreciate the Delta Regional Authority’s investment in the Port of Little Rock,” said Senator Tom Cotton.  “This funding will support the 4,000 Arkansans who already work at the port and make Little Rock a more attractive location for future businesses.” 

“I commend the Delta Regional Authority for supporting infrastructure upgrades at the Port of Little Rock. With over 40 businesses that employ over 4,000 people, the Port of Little Rock is the largest industrial hub in our area. These improvements will make central Arkansas more attractive for new business,” said Congressman French Hill.

Funding for this project was provided by the Community Infrastructure Fund, a DRA grant program that makes strategic investments into projects supporting basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, and flood control.