The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has granted $4.85 million in funding to five marine highway projects nationwide under the United States Marine Highway Program (USMHP).
The investment aims to improve commodities transportation on rivers and boost freight services in Louisiana, Puerto Rico, Washington, and West Virginia.
U.S. Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, said: “The Biden-Harris Administration’s investments in the United States Marine Highway Program are to move goods more quickly and efficiently, which is especially important considering the current record demand for shipping.
“With the funding announced today, we’re further modernising operations at our ports and waterways and strengthening supply chains, which will help lower costs of essential goods for American families.”
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The USMHP seeks to increase the use of navigable waterways to relieve landside congestion, enable new and more efficient transportation choices, and improve the performance of the surface transportation system.
The programme collaborates with both public and commercial parties to achieve these objectives.
Maritime Administrator, Ann Phillips, stated: “The USMHP is a tremendous opportunity to increase waterborne transport through expanding the use of America’s navigable waters, and through this expansion, to further integrate our waterways into the nation’s surface transportation system. This is particularly important as water-based transport is the most efficient, effective, and sustainable option.”
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According to MARAD, all beneficiaries of Marine Highway Grants must follow the ‘Build America, Buy America’ provisions of the Biden-Harris infrastructure bill.
This implies that the funds will be utilised to purchase American-made steel, building materials, and manufactured equipment, boosting American manufacturing and strengthening US supply chains.
