VIDALIA — The nearly $1.5 million promised for the Vidalia port project has been secured, according to U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu’s office.

The $1.461 million in funds were appropriated as part of a joint U.S. House-Senate conference committee omnibus appropriations bill. The bill will head to both the House and the Senate for a vote, and then — if approved — will go to the President for his signature into law.

The funds will be used to build an all-weather access road from the future Vidalia loading and unloading facility to Louisiana 131, and the construction will create approximately 200 jobs and retain 300 others by expanding transportation options and reducing costs, according to a news release from Landrieu’s office.

“Increasing access to the Mississippi River at Vidalia is essential to economy of central Louisiana,” Landrieu said. “This funding will be an essential down payment on a very significant port project in Vidalia.  The project is critical to advance (Vidalia) Mayor (Hyram) Copeland’s hard work over many years to bring jobs and economic development to Vidalia and the region.”

Securing the funding brings the port project one step closer to reality, Copeland said.

“I am at a loss for words because of the potential for what this can do for our economic development,” he said. “I’ve had a number of industry prospects say they would definitely consider the Miss-Lou if the port became a reality.”

In addition to thanking Landrieu for working to secure the grant, Copeland said securing the funding means work on the port could begin in late spring.

The funding also means that the port project can tap into $1.2 million in funds that were allocated by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, Concordia Parish Economic Director Heather Malone said.

“Once construction starts, that opens for us other doors for funding,” she said.

After the start of construction, local leaders will be able to apply for port funding through the state, and Malone said they have already applied for $900,000 in capital outlay funds for the project.

“Hopefully, it will give us a little advantage, showing that we got some federal funds,” she said.

The funds will be directed to the port project through the Department of Transportation.