41 U.S. ports will be improved under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) to strengthen the nation’s supply chains.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced $653 million funding to help grow capacity and increase efficiency at coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports, and inland river ports.<\/p>\n
A significant portion of domestic and international U.S. commerce 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, the Department of Transportation said in a statement. These investments are part of the largest dedicated funding for ports and waterways in U.S. history, which is released through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.<\/p>\n
“Everything from the food we eat to the cars we drive to the lumber and steel used to build our homes passes through America’s ports, making them some of the most critical links in our nation’s supply chain,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “These investments will help expand capacity and speed up the movement of goods through our ports, contributing to cleaner air and more good-paying jobs as we go.”<\/p>\n
At the height of the pandemic, more than a hundred ships were waiting to dock at West Coast ports, leading to inflationary prices. Now, the number of container ships waiting for berths at U.S. ports have decreased by more than a 90 percent. Global container shipping costs are down by more than 80 percent from their peak in 2021, according to the DOT. <\/p>\n
Projects selected for grants include Dock Infrastructure Replacement, Cold Bay, Alaska; North Harbor Transportation System Improvement Project, Long Beach, California; Reconstruction of Berth PN-308 at Port Newark, Newark, New Jersey; Ko’Kwel Wharf Improvements Project, North Bend, Oregon; Port of Ogdensburg Terminal Expansion Project, Ogdensburg, New York; Wabasha Barge Terminal Project, Wabasha, Minnesota; North Gate Relocation and Access Optimization, Wilmington, North Carolina; Port of Tacoma Husky Terminal Expansion Port One, Tacoma, Washington; Velasco Terminal Sustainable Expansion Project, Freeport, Texas; Agricultural Maritime Export Facility – Phase 2, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Port of Blencoe Infrastructure Development Project, Blencoe, Iowa; and River Valley Slackwater Harbor Project, Fort Smith, Arkansas. <\/p>\n