U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Maritime Administration (MARAD) has designated nearly 850 miles of navigable waterways to the U.S. Marine Highway Program (USMHP).
Additionally, MARAD has approved 14 new sponsors for the program. The network, which now covers more than 27,000 miles across 35 designated routes, supports U.S. supply chains, critical infrastructure and maritime workforce development.
“Coming from the Midwest, I’ve seen firsthand how maritime dominance isn’t just about our oceans. Our nation’s many rivers and inland ports are crucial resources to moving great American products to markets across the country and around the world,” Duffy said. “Expanding the Marine Highway Program will strengthen the Great Lakes economy and other regional communities.”
The expansion will strength the M-90 route, officials said, a 2,345-mile route through the Great Lakes, connecting Minnesota to New York. Joining the M-90 route are transportation departments for Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Wisconsin, as well as the Ports of Indiana and the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority.
“By adding local sponsors to the Marine Highway Program who know these regions well, we can help more American communities and businesses prosper,” MARAD Acting Administrator Sang Yi said. “Bringing more partners into the marine transportation network is a no-brainer.”
The U.S. Marine Highways are a part of the country’s transportation infrastructure that offers reliable good transportation without adding to congestion on the country’s roads and rail system. The navigable waterways network gives shippers options that support jobs and economic growth. As freight demand continues to increase, the waterways offer efficient and reliable ways to keep goods moving. The USMHP awards federal grants to eligible public and private projects along designated routes, and route sponsors are responsible for endorsing applicants seeking federal assistance through USMHP programs.
The newly designated routes and sponsors include M-23, a 20-mile route along the Big Sandy River co-sponsored by Kentucky and West Virginia’s DOTs; the M-24, a 382-mile route along the Cumberland River co-sponsored by Kentucky and Tennessee’s DOTs; and M-167, a 337-mile route co-sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development and the Arkansas Waterways Commission.