MANNS HARBOR, N.C. (WITN) – The North Carolina Ferry Division receives $1.3 million for upgrades at its shipyard in Manns Harbor.

The grant, from the U.S. Federal Transit Administration’s Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program, provides capital, planning and operating assistance to ferry services that serve rural communities.

The shipyard’s lights will be upgraded and fire-retardant paint added to their paint facility. The previous paint began to peel and the lights were not up to standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The $1.3 million in federal money, plus a matching $336,000 from the Ferry Division, will fix both issues.

“The shipyard is a major part of our maritime operations, and the money from this grant will help us improve that facility,” said Ferry Division Director Harold Thomas. “We’d like to thank our congressional and community partners that helped us secure this important funding.”