US Awards More than $653 Million for Port Projects
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).
The investments—part of the largest dedicated funding for ports and waterways in history, nearly $17 billion through the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—are intended to help grow capacity and increase efficiency at coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports and inland river ports.
“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.”
The PIDP improves port and related freight infrastructure to meet the nation’s freight transportation needs. The program provides planning support, capital funding, and project management assistance to improve capacity and efficiency of ports in both urban and rural areas. Awards announced today include more than $172.8 million for 26 small ports to continue to improve and expand their capacity to move freight reliably and efficiently, thereby boosting local and regional economies while protecting surrounding communities from air pollution.
“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. “By funding port infrastructure development, the Biden-Harris Administration is ensuring that goods move reliably and in greater quantities, strengthening supply chain resiliency across all modes of transportation, and addressing the negative impacts of port operations on public health and the environment that have harmed communities living near ports.”
MARAD said projects were selected based on their ability to improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of the movement of goods, as well as on how well they would improve port resilience. Other factors considered during the project evaluation process included the amount of non-federal funding an applicant committed to the project and how well the project enhanced economic vitality, supported workforce development, addressed climate change and sustainability, and advanced equity and President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative.
Grants include:
ALASKA
40-Acre Deep Water Port Development ($421,000)
Wrangell, Alaska
The project will fund planning activities for the development of a 40-acre deep water port site. The project encompasses property surveys, environmental assessments, permitting requirements, a preliminary engineering assessment of bulkhead and utility requirements, and a feasibility study update.
Construction of a New Small Boat Harbor ($8,963,522)
Yakutat, Alaska
The project will replace the existing 60-year-old harbor. Work includes replacement of the floating dock, stringers, steel pipe mooring piles, and associated hardware. It also includes installation of a fire suppression system, covered gangway, and relocation of an existing seaplane float.
Cape Blossom Port Planning Project ($2,455,485)
Cape Blossom, Alaska
This project will conduct a feasibility analysis, a benefit-cost analysis, site surveys, geotechnical investigations, and other project planning activities for a potential port at Cape Blossom, Alaska. The purpose of the project is to assess the viability of developing the first U.S. deep-water port north of the Arctic Circle.
Arctic Deep Draft Port Utility Services ($11,250,000)
Nome, Alaska
The project will construct water and wastewater, fuel, power, and communications infrastructure necessary to serve the marine utility needs of the Deep-Draft Arctic Port, a project to expand and deepen the Port of Nome.
Jakolof Bay Dock Replacement Project ($2,376,646)
Seldovia, Alaska
The project will replace a floating pier that supports commercial and subsistence fishing, freight services, and the movement of people to and from a remote and rural community. The project includes design work, the demolition of the existing floating pier, and installation of the new replacement floating pier.
Metlakatla Port Improvements Project ($3,384,439)
Annette Island, Alaska
The project includes the design, fabrication, delivery, and installation of a replacement fender system for the Metlakatla Indian Community’s barge ramp; completion of design and engineering, and preparation of bid documents, for the rehabilitation of two Metlakatla Breakwaters—the Frank Hayward Memorial Breakwater and the Old Breakwater; and repairs to the port’s boathouse and boat haul out system to include completion of design and repairs to the haul out mechanism.
Dock Infrastructure Replacement in Cold Bay, Alaska ($43,376,746)
Cold Bay, Alaska
This project will include the design, permitting, and construction of a new dock in Cold Bay, Alaska 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.
ARKANSAS
River Valley Slackwater Harbor Project ($15,096,000)
Fort Smith, Arkansas
The project will construct a slackwater harbor off the main channel of the Arkansas River. The harbor will be approximately 1000 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 2000 feet of dock frontage with a 50-foot-wide concrete deck for mobile cranes. The grant will also fund design services and project management.
CALIFORNIA
North Harbor Transportation System Improvement Project ($52,633,331)
Long Beach, California
The project will add a third track 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.
Redwood Marine Terminal and Baywide Master Plan Project ($8,672,986)
Eureka, California
This project includes studies, site design and engineering, site investigations, and permitting activities for a heavy-lift facility at the Redwood Marine Terminal to support offshore wind farm development. The project also includes creation of the Baywide Master Plan, project management, and grant administration.
Port of Hueneme Parking Structure Planning Project ($2,000,000)
Oxnard, California
This is a planning project for the design of a three-level parking structure at the Port of Hueneme. The structure will be designed to serve as a first-point-of-rest for vehicles being transferred between ocean-going vessels and the vehicle processing centers used to prepare vehicles for their eventual transport from the port to their final destination.
National City Marine Terminal Berth Rehabilitation & Electrification Project ($11,250,000)
San Diego, California
The project will upgrade two berths at National City Marine Terminal (NCMT) by rehabilitating
degraded infrastructure, installing electrical infrastructure and equipment that will allow oceangoing vessels to connect to grid-based electricity while alongside the terminal berth, and installing terminal and warehouse lighting upgrades and associated infrastructure.
CONNECTICUT
New London Ferry/Cargo Terminal Dolphin Replacement Project ($1,600,000)
New London, Connecticut
The project will replace dolphins at the Ferry District’s New London, Connecticut terminal. The project consists of replacing six 7-pile dolphins and seven 13-pile dolphins that are used to assist the ferry when preparing to moor at the terminal. The dolphins and related infrastructure are also an integral part of the system for securing ferries to the pier so that cargo and passengers can be safely transferred on and off the vessels.
DELAWARE
Edgemoor Container Terminal – Container Yard Project ($50,000,000)
Wilmington, Delaware
The project will construct a container yard at the Port of Wilmington featuring all-electric operations, a new modern truck gate complex, and terminal buildings and ancillary features including an approximately 100,000-square-foot warehouse and inspection platform.
FLORIDA
Port Panama City East Terminal Phase Two Expansion Project ($11,250,000)
Panama City, Florida
The project includes final design and construction of a 200,000 square foot (SF) warehouse, along with an associated rail spur extension and terminal roadway improvements to serve the warehouse.
HAWAII
Kawaihae Harbor Improvements ($23,460,000)
Kawaihae Harbor, Hawaii
The project will widen the highway adjacent to the port to accommodate a left turn and queueing lane for vehicles entering the port’s main gate. Additionally, the project includes roughly 10 acres of new concrete paving over existing and new yard, new 80-foot high mast lighting to replace existing lighting equipment, the installation of conduit and raised transformer pads for expanded reefer plug-ins, and the relocation of an office building and a maintenance shed.
IOWA
Port of Blencoe Infrastructure Development Project ($10,262,240)
Blencoe, Iowa
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 use of the southern side of the property for heavy industrial use.
ILLINOIS
Shawneetown Regional Port Revitalization Project ($10,120,000)
Shawneetown, Illinois
This project includes the design and construction of a roughly 1.25-mile New Port Access Road and the development of a Master Plan to comprehensively prepare for future port expansions and operations.
KENTUCKY
Conveyor Upgrade and Replacement Project ($3,295,879)
Hickman, Kentucky
The project will replace a conveyor system at the inland river port and make high priority repairs to an existing mooring cell. Project elements include a new roughly 1,200-foot-long conveyor system, foundations for the conveyor, electrical infrastructure, and control mechanisms. The project also includes environmental, engineering, construction administration, testing and inspection, and procurement services.
MASSACHUSSETTS
Leonard's Wharf Reconstruction & Extension Project ($24,404,000)
New Bedford, Massachusetts
The project will reconstruct and extend Leonard’s Wharf through the following construction activities: demolition of the existing structure; rebuilding and extending the wharf to the harbor line to achieve the longest wharf possible; surface dredging to remove contaminated sediments for disposal in a local Confined Aquatic Disposal (CAD) cell; berth dredging to accommodate deeper draft vessels and provide beneficial reuse of fill for the new wharf extension; and finishing the wharf with top surface, utilities, a modern fendering system, and other appurtenances.
MARYLAND
Baltimore County Offshore Wind Manufacturing Hub ($47,392,500)
Baltimore, Maryland
The project will fund berth and upland improvements to accommodate heavy project cargoes near the Port of Baltimore. The project includes construction of a roll-on/roll-off pad, a crane pad, ground improvements, geotechnical work, and steel structures to support components used in offshore wind projects. Work also includes site remediation and environmental mitigation activities.
MAINE
Portland IMT Reefer Yard Modernization Project ($14,240,000)
Portland, Maine
The project will modernize a yard at the Portland International Marine Terminal (IMT) that is used for refrigerated cargoes. Work includes the construction of racks to store containers with refrigerated cargoes, steel frames to house stairs to access containers, lighting, and the electrical infrastructure to enable the containers to be connected to shore power while they are in storage and waiting to be unloaded or transported.
MILWAUKEE
Agricultural Maritime Export Facility – Phase 2 ($9,276,352)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The project will construct two grain storage silos, make electrical service upgrades, and fund purchase of additional grain and cargo handling equipment to expand the capacity of the port to handle the movement of grain commodities.
MINNESOTA
Bulkhead Rehabilitation and Grain Barge Mooring Replacement Project ($1,989,246)
Red Wing, Minnesota
The project includes a bulkhead replacement and replacement of four existing dolphin clusters used for grain barge mooring at the Port of Red Wing’s barge fleeting offload–onload barge terminal.
Wabasha Barge Terminal Project ($2,545,297)
Wabasha, Minnesota
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.
MISSOURI
La Grange Multimodal Port Enhancement Project ($11,091,844)
La Grange, Missouri
The project will construct a new dry bulk cargo handling facility along the Mississippi River in Lewis County, Missouri. The project includes construction of a new roughly 200-foot cargo dock and approximately 1.62 miles of access road; the purchase and installation of a roughly 400-linear-foot conveyer system; and related cargo handling equipment.
MISSISSIPPI
Port of Rosedale Multi-Modal Expansion Project Phase I ($8,742,816)
Rosedale, Mississippi
The project will relocate and reconstruct a conveyor assembly dedicated to handing inbound cargoes and rehabilitate one of the conveyors the port uses to handle outbound cargoes. It will also construct a new structure so that the port’s outbound conveyors can be relocated from a deteriorating spud barge and established in a location so that inbound and outbound cargo operations can take place simultaneously. The project will also include the purchase of a new spud barge and cargo handling equipment.
NORTH CAROLINA
North Gate Relocation and Access Optimization ($10,950,805)
Wilmington, North Carolina
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 project also includes the development of a Terminal Resiliency Plan and a Terminal Emissions Reduction Plan.
NEW JERSEY
Reconstruction of Berth PN-308 at Port Newark ($32,000,000)
Newark, New Jersey
The project will reconstruct Berth PN-308 at Port Newark. The new berth will have a 75-year service life, increased 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. Additionally, project activities include demolition and debris removal, pile driving and capping, as well as deck installation.
Wind Port at Paulsboro – Phase 2 ($20,494,025)
Paulsboro, New Jersey
This project will include the following site improvements at the Paulsboro Marine Terminal: construction of a main terminal sanitary pump station and offsite conveyance; installation of stormwater collection and treatment infrastructure as well as yard piping needed to provide utility connections; final grading and paving to include the removal and disposal of excess contaminated soil and the protection or relocation of existing monitoring wells; installation of 15 high-mast light poles; electrical infrastructure improvements to include a secondary main transformer, new switchgear, and completion of electrical loops; redevelopment of approximately 2 acres for employee parking; security improvements including fencing and relocation of a guard booth; and decommissioning and restoration of a groundwater treatment plant to convert it for use in port operations.
NEW YORK
Port of Ogdensburg Terminal Expansion Project ($5,107,649)
Ogdensburg, New York
The project includes an approximately 435-linear-foot expansion of the Port of Ogdensburg’s main dock terminal along with 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.
OREGON
Ko’Kwel Wharf Improvements Project ($7,729,650)
North Bend, Oregon
The project will fund repairs to the dock face along Lot 2 of the Ko’Kwel Wharf, will bring 800-amp service and a shore power outlet box to the wharf to reduce or eliminate the need for idling diesel engines, and includes development phase activities leading to the future extension of the Ko’Kwel Wharf dock.
Pier 2 West Rehabilitation Project ($25,315,758)
Astoria, Oregon
This project will rehabilitate the Port of Astoria’s Pier 2 West. Project elements include: (1) a new steel bulkhead wall that will be approximately 825 feet long by 30 feet with a design life of 75 years, and that will include a new fendering system, 50-ton double bitt bollards, and a cast-inplace concrete bullrail; (2) removal of the old timber dock; (3) backfill of material behind the bulkhead; (4) foundation work on the Pier 2 warehouse; (5) concrete slab repairs in the warehouse; (6) new concrete pavement on the pier surface; (7) construction of a stormwater drainage system; and (8) replacement of a water line and fire hydrants for fire protection at the site.
Operational Capacity Improvements at the Port of Newport ($3,444,100)
Newport, Oregon
This project will grade roughly 9 acres of land adjacent to the port’s existing Newport International Terminal to create additional laydown and storage space and fence approximately three acres of land for increased security. Additionally, the project will include the purchase of two loaders for the processing and movement of breakbulk cargo.
RHODE ISLAND
Stern Off-Load Ramp Construction Project ($3,880,000)
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
This project will fund the construction of a stern off-load ramp on the south face of Pier 1 at the Port of Davisville. The ramp will expand the capabilities and functionalities of the Port by adding the ability to accommodate stern off-load roll-on-roll-off (RO/RO) vessels.
TEXAS
Cedar Port Infrastructure Development Project ($10,893,901)
Baytown, Texas
The project will fund the expansion and upgrade of the existing barge dock to include dredging the channel adjacent to the construction site and adding bulkheads to create an additional 800 feet of mooring space, resulting in 6 additional 8-hour barge slots. The project also includes construction of a heavy haul road connecting the barge dock to the Cedar Port Industrial Park tenant area.
Velasco Terminal Sustainable Expansion Project ($15,958,380)
Freeport, Texas
The project includes 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, located on Port-owned land away from the congested port area, will enable cargo to be unloaded, sorted, and loaded onto trucks without interfering with other terminal traffic.
West Basin Bulkhead Project ($9,922,475)
Bay City, Texas
The project will construct an approximately 400-foot-long bulkhead and an associated paved cargo dock and loop road for truck access. The project will also stabilize the earth behind the bulkhead.
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
Reconstruction and Modernization of the Wilfred “Bomba” Allick Terminal ($22,400,000)
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
The project will reconstruct and modernize the Wilfred “Bomba” Allick marine terminal in St. Croix. The project includes the replacement of pile caps, repair of concrete piles, concrete and steel deck repairs, repairs to mooring foundations, replacement of mooring bollards, and extensive pavement reconstruction in the container yard.
VIRGINIA
Norfolk Offshore Wind Logistics Port ($39,265,000)
Norfolk, Virginia
The project will convert an existing marine terminal and berth to an offshore wind logistics facility. Project elements include berth improvements to support the processing of heavy lift cargo and offshore wind submarine cables, and the construction of a floating pier to transfer personnel and light cargo.
WASHINGTON
Port of Tacoma Husky Terminal Expansion Part One ($54,233,330)
Tacoma, Washington
The project will reconfigure the Husky terminal yard for better truck circulation, install roughly 40 reefer racks and related power supplies, and relocate on-terminal structures.