Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced over $653 million to fund 41 port improvement projects across the nation under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). This funding will grow capacity and increase efficiency at coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports, and inland river ports. A significant portion of domestic and international U.S. commerce by weight, (over 2.3 billion short tons) moves by water.
The port improvement projects will strengthen supply chain reliability, create workforce development opportunities, speed up the movement of goods, and improve the safety, reliability, and resilience of ports. These investments are part of the largest dedicated funding for ports and waterways in history – nearly $17 billion through the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Modernizing the nation’s port infrastructure is vital to the reinforcement of America’s multimodal system for transporting goods. The advantages of cargo movement on water extend well beyond the maritime domain,” said Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips.
Selected Grants Include:
Long Beach, CA - North Harbor Transportation System Improvement Project ($52,633,331)
The project will add a third intermodal railroad tractor-trailer to the Dominguez Channel Bridge; relocate and modernize Pier B Street, on-dock roadways, and associated utilities; and realign Pico Avenue, including replacing and relocating aging utilities in the area. The rail expansion and roadway improvements will enhance cargo movements to and from the port, increase safety at key railroad crossings near the port, and increase internal road capacity to create more space for tractor-trailer operations. The project is located in a Historically Disadvantaged Community.
Cold Bay, Alaska - Dock Infrastructure Replacement ($43,376,746)
This project will include the design, permitting, and construction of a new dock to replace the community’s only existing dock, which is nearing the end of its useful service life. The new dock will be designed and built to accommodate commercial use, freight and fuel transportation, private vessel use, and public uses like emergency medical services and public transportation through the Alaska Marine Highway System. Safety is improved by creating a wider working area on the dock for clear operational lanes for trucks and dockworkers. The new dock will also improve the overall resilience of the port due to the use of stronger materials that will better withstand the harsh conditions common to this area.
Newark, New Jersey - Reconstruction of Berth PN-308 at Port Newark ($32,000,000)
The project will reconstruct Berth PN-308. The new berth will have a 75-year service life, increase live load criteria from the current 500 pounds per square foot (psf) to 2,000 psf, and incorporate resiliency enhancements to the new structure such as a high-level platform and prestressed precast concrete planks. The new facilities will increase the port’s capacity to handle projected increases in dry bulk goods and provide an additional layer of reliability for the regional and national supply chain. The project also improves port resilience by raising the elevation of the berth to better withstand flood events.
North Bend, Oregon - Ko’Kwel Wharf Improvements Project ($7,729,650)
The project will fund repairs to the dock facing Lot 2 of the Ko’Kwel Wharf, bring 800-amp service and a shore power outlet box to the wharf to reduce or eliminate the need for idling diesel engines and include development phase activities leading to the future extension of the Wharf dock. The dock repairs, which will renovate and upgrade dangerous and dilapidated conditions, will increase load capacity by 85 percent and contribute to more efficient movement of goods. Additionally, the installation of shore power enhances safety by decreasing diesel fumes, which adversely impact communities adjacent to the Wharf.
Ogdensburg, New York - Port of Ogdensburg Terminal Expansion Project ($5,107,649)
The project includes an approximately 435-linear-foot expansion of the Port of Ogdensburg’s main dock terminal along with the installation of a mooring dolphin system and associated dredging necessary to establish a new roughly 100-foot-wide by 500-foot-long berthing area immediately adjacent to the new terminal dock wall structure. The project improves efficiency and reliability by deepening and extending the port’s primary cargo berth to increase the size and number of vessels that can be docked simultaneously. The berth extension will also lead to more efficient operations by reducing choke points and alleviating staging and cargo transfer capacity shortfalls.
Wabasha, Minnesota - Wabasha Barge Terminal Project ($2,545,297)
This project will construct a new inland river barge terminal at Upper Mississippi River Mile Marker 760 and develop the necessary access road and utilities to support its operation. The project will improve flood and supply chain resilience by creating a new terminal on the Mississippi River that will be constructed to be more resistant to flood-related closure. The new terminal will also provide additional capacity for the movement of agricultural commodities and other cargo on the river.
Wilmington, North Carolina - North Gate Relocation and Access Optimization ($10,950,805)
The project will construct approximately 4,000 feet of elevated roadway access to the general cargo terminal, relocate the North Gate security checkpoint, install a new gate operating system, improve existing at-grade railroad crossings, construct buildings for badging, guardhouse, and cargo control, construct a truck queuing area, and install EV charging infrastructure and solar panels. The new facilities will improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the port by increasing railroad capacity, reducing truck delays resulting from railroad operations, and increasing supply chain reliability for U.S. exporters. The project also improves the resilience of this strategic seaport by implementing new security technology and cyber prevention tools to ensure operational resilience.
Tacoma, Washington - Port of Tacoma Husky Terminal Expansion Port One ($54,233,330)
The project will reconfigure the Husky terminal yard for better truck circulation, install roughly 40 refrigerated cargo racks and related power supplies, and relocate on-terminal structures. The new facilities will safely, efficiently, and reliably increase cargo throughput by tripling refrigerated cargo (“reefer”) capacity at the port. The project advances port resilience as its design accounts for sea level rise and storm surge.
Freeport, Texas - Velasco Terminal Sustainable Expansion Project ($15,958,380)
The project includes the construction of a new approximately 36,900-square-foot cross-dock warehouse, related site improvements on a roughly 10-acre site, and a new terminal access truck gate. The cross-dock facility will enable cargo to be unloaded, sorted, and loaded onto trucks without interfering with other terminal traffic, reducing congestion. The warehouse design improves safety by incorporating wider maneuvering, loading, and aisle-way space for forklifts, which will reduce hazards for forklift operators and warehouse workers. The new truck gate will reduce truck turn times to improve productivity and enhance safety by adding truck lanes off the adjacent roadway.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Agricultural Maritime Export Facility – Phase 2 ($9,276,352)
The project will construct 2 grain storage silos, make electrical service upgrades, and fund the purchase of additional grain and cargo handling equipment to expand the capacity of the port to handle the movement of grain commodities. The project will improve efficiency by expanding grain storage capacity for staging inbound and outbound grains by over 1.3 million bushels. The grain handling equipment will also expedite the movement of grains and the new facility will allow the port to handle two commodities simultaneously.
Blencoe, Iowa - Port of Blencoe Infrastructure Development Project ($10,262,240)
The project will establish a new port at a site along the Missouri River. The project will consist of constructing a new commodity handling facility, storage for liquid commodities, receiving and handling equipment, conveyors, elevating legs, and additional infrastructure development such as internal road construction and site leveling to accommodate the use of the southern side of the property for heavy industrial use. The project improvements will eliminate the double handling of cargo by streamlining transfers directly from barge to vessel and generate resulting improvements in safety, efficiency, and reliability. The project will benefit grain shippers by reducing transport costs by increasing competitiveness and the volume of grain that can be handled. The new facility will also decrease the travel time required for shippers to move their grain to market.
Fort Smith, Arkansas - River Valley Slackwater Harbor Project ($15,096,000)
The project will construct a slackwater harbor off the main channel of the Arkansas River. The harbor will be approximately 1,000 feet long and 200 feet wide and have the capacity to moor and offload up to eight barges at a time. The harbor will have roughly 2,000 feet of dock frontage with a 50-foot-wide concrete deck for mobile cranes. The grant will also fund design services and project management. The new harbor enhances the reliability of the port because it will be less susceptible to operational disruptions and damage resulting from fluctuations in the flow rate of the river. The project significantly increases the throughput capacity of the port. The project will also improve port resilience because the concrete deck will be constructed above the 100-year flood level to ensure year-round operation even in the face of flooding events.
