The US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has revealed plans to invest nearly $580m in port infrastructure nationwide.
The funding will go toward 31 projects in 15 states and one US territory to help increase capacity and efficiency at coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports, and inland river ports.
The port of San Juan, Puerto Rico, will receive the largest portion of the funding ($53.5m) for a wharves reconstruction project, while Port Everglades in Florida is slated for $53.3m to fund a port emissions reduction project.
In addition, the Don Young Port of Alaska will receive $50m for a new general-purpose cargo terminal, and the Port of Oakland in California has been awarded $49.5m to modernise its Outer Harbour Terminal.
The funding is part of MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), which received a $2.25bn from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In November 2023, the program allocated over $653m to support 41 port improvement projects nationwide.
The port improvement projects are aimed at strengthening supply chain reliability, creating workforce development opportunities, enhancing freight efficiency, lowering costs, reducing emissions, and improving US ports’ safety, reliability, and resilience, MARAD noted.
“America’s ports are essential to our nation’s supply chains, and thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, we have projects underway all across the country—from Long Beach to Milwaukee to Monroe—that are making it possible for our ports to move more goods each year and keep costs down for families,” said US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.