Late Tuesday, Sens. Doug Jones (D-Mountain Brook) and Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) announced a $12.7 million federal grant for the Port of Mobile.

According to a release from Jones’ office, the grant will be for improvements at the Port of Mobile, including the conversion of an abandoned bulk handling facility into a roll-on/roll-off mobile vehicle processing facility. According to Jones’ release, it will be “capable of handling automobiles, military vehicles, trucks, other rolling stock, and high or heavy cargos.”

“This announcement is a tremendous victory for the Port of Mobile and for South Alabama,” Jones said in the release. “The fact that the Port of Mobile can compete for and win such a significant grant reaffirms its standing as a world-class facility. The funding will help the Port continue to serve as an engine of economic opportunity for the Mobile region.”

Shelby reiterated Jones’ point about the importance of the Port of Mobile and explained how it would create further economic development within the state.

“Advancing the Port of Mobile is critical to driving economic success in our state,” Shelby said. “We have one of the fastest growing harbors in the nation. This grant will help facilitate the demands of Alabama’s booming automotive industry. I am encouraged by the current growth opportunities directly tied the harbor and will continue working to make the Port of Mobile one of the most competitive harbors in the country.”

The grant is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program.

Jeff Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and works as the editor of Breitbart TV. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeff_poor.