Economic development, Harbor Assistance Program - Wisconsin Department of Transportation

In 1979, Wisconsin’s Legislature created the Harbor Assistance Program (HAP) to assist harbor communities along the Great Lakes and Mississippi River in maintaining and improving waterborne commerce. The Program provides grants of up to 80% of total project cost to publicly-owned harbors in Wisconsin for facility improvement projects. Harbor projects typically include dock reconstruction, mooring structure replacement, dredging, and the construction of facilities to hold dredged material.

Harbor Assistance Program's role in economic development

Harbor improvements provide significant measurable benefits to businesses and municipalities that use Wisconsin waterways. Each project yields a monetary benefit that over the useful lifetime of the facility is greater than its cost. Completed projects save harbor users time and money in travel, and in the loading and unloading of diverse goods such as salt, gravel, limestone, coal, steel, manufactured goods, and even fully assembled ships.

Since 1995, HAP has made possible the completion of projects that will provide an estimated $250.3 million of transportation benefits to their users over the next twenty-five years. These benefits represent decreased production costs to the businesses that use the harbor facilities in Wisconsin. As a result, Wisconsin businesses are better able to compete in the world marketplace, and to hire more workers and generate more income in the state.

Case studies

One example of a project and associated benefits made possible by a HAP grant is a new dock wall that was constructed for the City of Manitowoc in 2000. The City received a grant of $2 million toward a total project cost of $2.6 million. This enabled coal and limestone to be shipped to the local power plant more efficiently, saving $2 million annually in materials handling and shipping costs.

The Harbor Assistance Program provided $1 million for a dock facility in Milwaukee for the Lake Express high speed ferry (pictured top right). The ferry is able to cross Lake Michigan traveling at a speed of 40 mph. The trip from Milwaukee to Muskegon takes about 2 1/2 hours compared to traveling by car which takes about five hours. The Lake Express service can carry up to 250 passengers and 46 cars. The ferry service is fast becoming a tourist attraction for Milwaukee and Muskegon.

For more information, including an application form, see WisDOT's Harbor Assistance Program Web page, or contact Larry Kieck, Bureau of Railroads and Harbors.

Lake Express Carferry

Apply for funds and get more information about the Harbor Assistance Program