Wisconsin DOT provides grant for Marinette Marine spur rehabilitation

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) recently awarded the city of Marinette a $812,523 Transportation Economic Assistance (TEA) grant to rehabilitate a rail spur and reconstruct two streets, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker announced.

The grant represents WisDOT's contribution toward the more than $3 million transportation project, which is designed to accommodate a $73.5 million plant expansion by Marinette Marine Corp. (MMC), the city's largest employer. MMC is expanding its ship building business in Marinette due to a new U.S. Department of Defense contract to build 10 combat Navy ships by 2020.

To be completed in spring 2014, the project involves rehabilitating the Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad's spur that serves MMC, upgrading Ely Street near the Main Street intersection and reconstructing Mann Street.

Since it was launched in 1987, the TEA grant program has provided more than $93 million for 333 transportation projects.