Buttigieg announces $241M in grants for America’s ports

The U.S. DoT Secretary yesterday announced the award of more than $241 million in discretionary grant funding for 25 projects to improve port facilities in 19 states and one territory through the MARAD Port Infrastructure Development Program.

“U.S. maritime ports play a critical role in our supply chains,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg. “These investments in our nation’s ports will help support American jobs, efficient and resilient operations, and faster delivery of goods to the American people.”

The PIDP is in its third year and has already awarded $492 million for 32 projects of regional and national economic significance within its first two years.

The program supports efforts by ports and industry stakeholders to improve facility and freight infrastructure to ensure the Nation’s freight transportation needs, present and future, are met.

Also, it provides planning and capital financing and project management assistance to improve ports’ capacity and efficiency.

Some of the projects to be funded under this announcement include:

• Houston, Texas

Bayport Container Terminal Expansion (awarded: $18,267,600)
The project will fund development of Container Yard 1 South, a 39-acre space at the port’s Bayport Container Terminal;

• Brunswick, Georgia

Colonel’s Island Berth #4 (awarded: $14,647,284)
The project will address supply chain challenges by constructing a fourth roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessel berth at the Port of Brunswick’s Colonel’s Island Terminal;

• Alpena, Michigan

Improving Vessel Access for Sustained Viability (awarded: $3,751,623)
The City of Alpena is partnering with Lafarge Alpena to upgrade and modernize Lafarge Alpena’s port and landside shipping facilities to meet the increasing demand for the plant’s construction products. Project improvements include berth dredging to increase the water depths within the port basin;

• Tell City, Indiana

Ohio River Pier Project (awarded: $1,600,000)
The project will fund construction of a 40-foot diameter pier for a crane that will be used for direct barge-to-truck unloading of cargo, etc.