These investments are part of the largest dedicated funding for ports and waterways in history
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced over $653 million to fund 41 port improvement projects across the nation under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda – a key pillar of Bidenomics – this funding will help grow capacity and increase efficiency at coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports, and inland river ports.
A significant portion of domestic and international U.S. commerce by weight (over 2.3 billion short tons) moves by water. The port improvement projects announced on Nov 6 will strengthen supply chain reliability, create workforce development opportunities, speed up the movement of goods, and improve the safety, reliability and resilience of ports. These investments are part of the largest dedicated funding for ports and waterways in history – nearly $17 billion through the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Projects were selected based on their ability to improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of the movement of goods, as well as on how well they would improve port resilience. Other factors considered during the project evaluation process included the amount of non-federal funding an applicant committed to the project and how well the project enhanced economic vitality, supported workforce development, addressed climate change and sustainability, and advanced equity and President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative.
The grants include: Dock Infrastructure Replacement ($43,376,746) / Cold Bay, Alaska; North Harbor Transportation System Improvement Project ($52,633,331) / Long Beach, California; Reconstruction of Berth PN-308 at Port Newark ($32,000,000) / Newark, New Jersey; Ko’Kwel Wharf Improvements Project ($7,729,650) / North Bend, Oregon; Port of Ogdensburg Terminal Expansion Project ($5,107,649) / Ogdensburg, New York; Wabasha Barge Terminal Project ($2,545,297) / Wabasha, Minnesota; North Gate Relocation and Access Optimization ($10,950,805) / Wilmington, North Carolina; Port of Tacoma Husky Terminal Expansion Port One ($54,233,330) / Tacoma, Washington; Velasco Terminal Sustainable Expansion Project ($15,958,380) / Freeport, Texas; Agricultural Maritime Export Facility – Phase 2 ($9,276,352) / Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Port of Blencoe Infrastructure Development Project ($10,262,240) / Blencoe, Iowa; River Valley Slackwater Harbor Project ($15,096,000) / Fort Smith, Arkansas.