The U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) has awarded the Port of Oakland about $50 million toward the port’s multi-year plan to upgrade wharves and terminal infrastructure at Outer Harbor, the Northern California seaport announced Nov. 21.
The estimated $66 million in upgrades allows the port to welcome Ultra Large Container Vessels, which can hold as many as 24,000 TEUs, and regularly call at West Coast seaports.
The project also builds upon the port’s move toward emission-free operations.
“This federal funding will help us improve infrastructure that will make the Oakland seaport a cleaner, safer and more efficient international gateway for moving imports and exports,” port Executive Director Danny Wan explained in a statement.
The project calls for bolstering wharf and support beams, making structural repairs, adding support piles and replacing container crane rails and the electrical bus bar system to make room for bigger ship-to-shore cranes, according to the port.
“It is essential that we upgrade infrastructure because the Oakland seaport is a critical artery for commerce in Northern California,” Port Maritime Director Bryan Brandes said.