More than 30 ports in 15 states will receive funding to increase capacity and efficiency, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration said Friday.
The nearly $580 million is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and will fund port improvement projects to strengthen the supply chain, create workforce development opportunities, enhance freight efficiency, lower costs and reduce emissions, the department said.
“America’s ports are essential to our nation’s supply chains, and thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, we have projects underway all across the country—from Long Beach to Milwaukee to Monroe—that are making it possible for our ports to move more goods each year and keep costs down for families,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said. “With the investments we’re announcing today, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re building on this good work and funding more projects that will expand capacity, improve efficiency, and facilitate the quicker movement of goods at ports in more than a dozen states.”
The funding is part of MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Program (PIDP) that was designed to improve port infrastructure in order to meet the country’s freight transportation needs.
“Modernizing America’s port infrastructure is essential to strengthening the multimodal network that supports our nation’s supply chain,” Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips said. “Approximately 2.3 billion short tons of goods move through U.S. waterways each year, and the benefits of developing port infrastructure extend far beyond the maritime sector. This funding enhances the flow and capacity of goods moved, bolstering supply chain resilience across all transportation modes, and addressing the environmental and health impacts on port communities.
Among the ports receiving funding are the Port of Oakland which will received more than $49 million for its Outer Harbor Terminal Infrastructure Modernization Project to strengthen its wharf and make other structural repairs. Other projects include the Port of Alaska which will receive $50 million for its Cargo 1 Replacement Project to construct a new general purpose cargo terminal; and the Lummi Nation which will receive $10.8 million for its Fisherman’s Cove Dock Replacement Project to demolish and replace a pier at the Gooseberry Point Waterfront.