On Nov. 15, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced plans to invest nearly $580 million in 31 port improvement projects across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, including projects at the Anchorage, Ak. and Oakland, Calif. seaports.
“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,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.
“With the investments we’re announcing today,” he continued, “we’re building on this good work and funding more projects that will expand capacity, improve efficiency, and facilitate the quicker movement of goods at ports in more than a dozen states.”
The grant awards include $50 million for the Port of Alaska’s Cargo 1 Replacement Project in Anchorage, Alaska, which funds construction of a new general purpose cargo terminal at the Don Young Port of Alaska. Work funded by the grant includes demolition of the existing terminal, construction of the trestle and wharf structure, and related landside facilities and utilities.
“The project improves resilience to both natural and man-made disasters by improving seismic stability, mitigating sea level rise and ice impacts, and supporting cargo movements,” MARAD said in a statement.
In addition, $49,517,100 is going to the Port of Oakland’s Outer Harbor Terminal Infrastructure Modernization Project, which includes wharf strengthening and other structural repairs, like crane girder upgrades, added piling, beam strengthening, crane rail replacement, removing and replacing an old electrical bus bar system, and pavement overlay at Berths 24-26 within the Outer Harbor Terminal.
“The project addresses efficiency at the facility by allowing the port to host larger vessels at the same time to better respond to market demand on the West Coast,” MARAD explained.
Additionally, the Port of Port Angeles in Washington state has been awarded $9 million for its Operational Capacity Expansion Project, which includes the purchase of two reduced-emissions modern log stackers, two hybrid material handlers, and a bulk cargo conveyor system.
The funding for the grants comes from MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), which received $2.25 billion from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve port infrastructure to meet the nation’s freight transportation needs.
The program provides planning support, capital funding and project management assistance to improve the capacity and efficiency of ports in both urban and rural areas.
