Ports of Indiana Announces Major Breakbulk Expansion

By Simon West

Ports of Indiana in the U.S. has announced a major expansion of its breakbulk and heavy-lift capabilities at its Jeffersonville terminal after securing a record US$25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transport.

The BUILD (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development) grant, the largest federal award in the port authority’s history, will support a US$32 million redevelopment at Jeffersonville, one of three facilities operated by Ports of Indiana.

The investment will transform an underutilized section of the Ohio River into a high-volume multimodal terminal featuring a new 300-ton crane system, a 6,500-square-foot dock and a 22,000-square-foot warehouse. The upgrades are designed to improve operational efficiency while significantly expanding the port’s heavy-lift and breakbulk capacity.

Slated for completion in 2028, the project will increase lifting capacity by more than 800%, double barge-rail transloading capacity and create the port’s first general cargo facility outside the floodplain.

Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock said the investment would be “transformational” for Jeffersonville and the entire southern Indiana region.

“This investment will dramatically increase the port’s capacity to handle larger steel and project cargoes, increase storage and operational efficiencies, lower transportation costs for regional industry and strengthen Jeffersonville’s position as one of the Midwest’s premier multimodal freight hubs for decades to come,” Peacock said.

Ports of Indiana also operates Mount Vernon on the Ohio River and Burns Harbor on Lake Michigan.

Ports of Indiana will be exhibiting at Breakbulk Americas 2026.

Photo: Breakbulk handling at Jeffersonville port. Credit: Ports of Indiana