Contact: Tom Schulte 573-334-7044 Ernie Blazar 202- 224-7627
Friday, April 20, 2001

CHARLESTON, MO -- Senator Kit Bond congratulated Mississippi County Port Authority and Fulton County, Kentucky officials today on receiving a $500,000 federal grant to improve Dorena-Hickman ferry service.

“This money will strengthen the commercial and economic links between Missouri and Kentucky,” said Bond, who secured the grant through his membership on the Senate Appropriations Committee. “Officials on both sides of the Mississippi have done a great job in keeping this vital link to the heartland open.”

Operated by the Mississippi County Port Authority, the Dorena-Hickman Ferry service makes twelve round-trips each week day and sixteen round-trips on weekends. During 2000, the ferry carried nearly 11,000 vehicles, over 25,000 passengers and 350 bicycles on the Mississippi River Trails (MRT). The funding secured by Bond will allow the ferry to boost vehicle traffic to nearly 13,000 and increase the number of passengers to over 30,000. MRT traffic is predicted to increase by 40% over 2000 figures.

“Kit Bond understands the importance of the Mississippi River to our regional economy,” said Kenny George, Chairman of the Mississippi County Port Authority. “There was no way we could have made badly-needed improvements to the ferry operation without Senator Bond’s assistance in acquiring federal funding.”

Since 1996 the Mississippi and New Madrid Counties in Missouri and Fulton County Kentucky have derived significant benefits due to the ferry service. Distressed communities in Missouri and Kentucky look to the social and economic benefits the ferry brings to the area, including the shipment of goods and services, and the connection provided through employment, recreation and tourism.