WASHINGTON — About $290 million of $653 million in new federal grants awarded by the Biden administration will be used to improve truck capacity at U.S. ports.
The U.S. Department of Transportation on Friday announced the latest annual round of funding under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), administered by the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration.
Of the 41 port projects receiving funds through the program in 2023, 11 feature significant improvements aimed at speeding truck shipping in and out of coastal and inland ports.
“This is a day of good news for America’s supply chains and good news for every American who cares about seeing the prices of goods fall and stay low,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a news conference before the announcement.
“There is still a tremendous amount of work to be done. The goal is not to return U.S. supply chains to where they were in 2019 — which was adequate on a good day but unable to handle any disruption. Our goal is to strengthen these supply chains in a way that “Perpetual as we bring more of it to America, so that it’s not just weather-appropriate supply chains, but chains that will be able to withstand all the challenges and surprises the coming years can throw at us.”
Among the 11 projects where truck capacity will receive a significant boost is the Port of Long Beach, California, which is receiving $52.6 million for the North Harbor Improvement Project. The $280 million intermodal project increases internal road capacity to provide more room for trucks as well as makes road and rail improvements outside terminal areas to enhance freight flow.
And at the Port of Tacoma, Washington’s Husky Terminal — whose clients include major trans-Pacific container ship operators — a $54.2 million grant will be used to reconfigure the terminal yard to improve truck circulation. The federal grant represents 43% of the $126 million project cost.
On the East Coast, Diamond State Port Corp. in the Port of Wilmington, Delaware, is receiving $50 million for the new Edgemoor Container Terminal, a $132 million project that includes construction of a state-of-the-art truck gate complex, terminal buildings, and a 100,000 square meter container terminal. foot warehouse. “The new truck gate will allow the facility to handle additional cargo safely, efficiently and reliably at higher speeds and with fewer accidents,” according to the project summary.
DOT is also awarding a $10.1 million PIDP grant for an inland river port on the Ohio River, the Shawneetown Regional Port District in southeastern Illinois. The area has several private terminal operators, but the grant will cover 100% of the cost of developing a new 1.25-mile port access road for future port expansion.
“The new access road will improve efficiency and reliability by increasing the port’s truck capacity from 10 trucks to 105 trucks at any given time, increasing production capacity at the port as well as reducing bottlenecks and congestion caused by trucks. Local streets surrounding the port, according to the Department of Transportation.
One port project that’s getting a wholesale makeover — thanks in part to a $32 million PIDP grant — is the pier at the Port of Newark, New Jersey. When completed, the $197 million project is expected to increase the port’s capacity to handle expected increases in dry bulk cargo “and provide an additional layer of reliability to the regional and national supply chain,” the Department of Transport said, by upgrading the berth to withstand events. Floods better.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., noted that the pier, which has been out of service since September 2021 “due to structural integrity concerns,” will be rebuilt for a 75-year service life.
“New Jersey’s ports are engines of economic development for our region, moving goods, creating jobs and strengthening our economy,” Booker said.. “These investments will fund critical upgrades that improve port operations and support supply chains, secure New Jersey’s position as a clean energy leader, and create thousands of jobs.”
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November 7-9, 2023 • Chattanooga, Tennessee • In-person event
The second annual F3: Future of Cargo Festival will be held in Chattanooga, the “Scenic City,” this November. F3 combines innovation and entertainment – featuring live demonstrations, industry experts discussing 2024 freight market trends, afternoon networking events, and Grammy Award-winning musicians performing in the evening amid cool Appalachian fall weather.
