The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has announced plans to invest nearly $580 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund 31 port improvement projects in 15 states and one US territory.
This funding is expected to help increase both capacity and efficiency at coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports, and inland river ports.
The port improvement projects announced will strengthen supply chain reliability, create workforce development opportunities, enhance freight efficiency, lower costs, reduce emissions, and improve the safety, reliability, and resilience of our ports.
The funding comes from MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), which received $2.25 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve port infrastructure to meet the nation’s freight transportation needs.
The programme provides planning support, capital funding, and project management assistance to improve the capacity and efficiency of ports in both urban and rural areas.
Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Biden-Harris Administration has announced investments in more than 580 port and waterway projects to strengthen supply chain reliability, speed up the movement of goods, reduce the costs of everyday items, and lower carbon emissions.
“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,” saidU.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
“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.”
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“Modernising America’s port infrastructure is essential to strengthening the multimodal network that supports our nation’s supply chain,” said Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips.
“Approximately 2.3 billion short tons of goods move through US 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.”
Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a grant of $125 million under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) National Grants Program.
