3 November 2023 (Lloyd's List) - THE US government has announced more than $650m in grants for 41 coastal, inland, and Great Lakes ports.
The funding is part of the Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program, which supports US ports with planning, funding, and project management assistance.
“Modernising 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,” Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips said in a statement.
“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.”
The investments are made as part of almost $17bn allocated to fund ports and waterways through President Biden’s 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law.
Last year, the Biden-Harris administration announced $703m to 41 US ports.
Funded projects include $52m to improve the North Harbor transportation system in Long Beach; $32m to reconstruct a berth in Port Newark in the Port of New York and New Jersey; and $54m for a terminal expansion project in the port of Tacoma, among others.
