The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) has received an additional $226 million in federal grant to assist the development of the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT).
The port will receive funding through the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) competitive Grant Program, which aims to advance the Biden Administration’s priorities for rebuilding US infrastructure by funding multimodal freight and highway projects.
Port NOLA received a total of $300 million in government grants, including the $226 million INFRA Grant and $73.77 million from the MEGA Grant Program, to assist the first phase of the $1.8 billion container terminal building project.
LIT has also received backing from more than a dozen ports in six states, as well as key commerce and agriculture groups across the heartland of America.
U.S. Senator, Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), said: “This money to build a new terminal in the Port of New Orleans is good for commerce, good for jobs, and good for coastal communities. Because I had a seat at the table for the infrastructure law, Louisiana is punching above its weight in the funding coming to our state.”
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Congressman, Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02), stated: “This grant funding is a historic step towards transforming the economic landscape of Louisiana and solidifying our position as the premier international Gulf gateway.
“This additional investment will leverage Port NOLA’s extensive connectivity to interstate systems, railroads, waterways, and hubs. This is yet another example of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law bringing critical investments to our great state, and I am proud to see the legislation I championed yield big results.”
According to Port NOLA, the container terminal, which will be built in Violet, Louisiana, will leverage the port’s connectivity via four critical interstate systems, six Class I railroads, 14,500 miles of inland waterways, and 30+ inland hubs to significantly increase Louisiana’s import and export capacity and create unprecedented opportunities.
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Port NOLA President and CEO Brandy Christian, said: “We are incredibly honoured to receive this landmark grant award, which underscores decades of site and market analysis and reflects the recognition of our transformational project on a global scale.
“Not only is this the biggest economic development grant in Louisiana history, but also the largest federal investment in a new container terminal in USDOT history. We express our deepest appreciation to Louisiana’s federal delegation, state leadership and the Biden Administration for their confidence in our vision and look forward to delivering on this investment.”
