LISBON, Ohio – Two businesses located along the Ohio River will be able to complete projects with grant funding awarded to the Columbiana County Port Authority.
Brittany Smith, executive director of the port authority, told the board of directors at its meeting Monday that an East Liverpool company and a Wellsville company each received a Maritime Assistance Program grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Seaforth Mineral & Ore Co. in East Liverpool received an $819,000 grant to assist with a dock wall rehabilitation project, with an estimated total cost of $1.6 million. Smith told the board the company’s existing dock wall is about 35 years old and the last major repair was completed in 2005.
She said with completion of this latest repair made possible by the MAP grant, Seaforth is expected to see a 40% increase in capacity and efficiency due to modernized infrastructure and reduced downtime.
Port of Ohio at Pier 48 in the Wellsville Intermodal Facility received a $132,816 grant, which will go toward the purchase of two diesel over hydraulic clamshell buckets. The total project cost is estimated at $265,632.
Smith said Pier 48 has only one operational bucket, manufactured in 1976. She said there are constant shutdowns and maintenance issues with the current equipment, and two new buckets will increase the terminal’s efficiency.
According to Smith, ODOT received project submission requests for the MAP grants totaling $13 million, with $9 million available to award.
“We are very appreciative to the Ohio Department of Transportation and our state legislators for their continued support of Columbiana County and for recognizing the need for support of the Ohio River businesses,” she said, thanking her staff for their work in helping get the projects funded.
Smith also reported to the board that the second round of applications closed Jan. 31 for the Expanded Potable Water Sampling Program the port authority is administering in conjunction with the county health department.
More than 120 applications were received through 2025 and, to date, 62 of those wells have been tested.
Pictured at top: The towboat Miss Brooke moves into position to push a barge down the Ohio River.