The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a $229.23m grant to 14 port-related projects.
The grant is part of USDOT’s $1.5bn discretionary funding programme for 91 projects in 49 states and the District of Columbia.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The grant is made under this year’s Better Utilising Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) programme that supports road, rail, transit, and port infrastructure projects across the US.
According to American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) president and CEO Kurt Nagle, the US’ seaports should be key components of USDOT’s BUILD discretionary grants programme as they play an important role in shipping goods, sustaining jobs and boosting the economy.
Nagle said: “BUILD grants are one of the few federal funding programmes available to public port authorities to help them pay for critical infrastructure to move and handle freight more efficiently.
“The $229m in port-related awards will help leverage nearly $412m in total project costs.
“Projects that aid the movement of goods through America’s ports should be a high priority for these federal grants, and port-related projects should be among the leading candidates. It’s also important that projects from the full range of port sizes and types receive grant awards in any future rounds of BUILD funding.”
Of the $229.23m grant awarded to the 14 port-related projects, the highest amount of funding ($25m) will be provided to the South Carolina Department of Transportation to support the Upstate Express Corridor Capacity Expansion Project.
The City of Emmonak will receive $23.17m for its Lower Yukon River Regional Port and Road Renovation Project.
Delaware River and Bay Authority, Port of Port Arthur, Port of Coos Bay, and others will also receive funding from the $229.23m grant.
