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Ports & Rail

MARAD awards $498 million to 35 port projects in 19 states

Port Infrastructure Development Program grants range from a $698,750 timber pier in Maine to $50.6 million for a new dock in Whittier, Alaska.

By Transport News Staff ·
A large industrial module on a barge beside cranes at the Port of Corpus Christi, Texas.
Photo: Jay Phagan from Taft, Texas / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $498 million to 35 port projects in 19 states through the Maritime Administration's Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), MARAD announced on Oct. 27.

The grants go to coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports and inland river ports. Several fund equipment and layouts that change how cargo moves between ship, rail and truck.

Selected awards

| Recipient | Award | What it pays for | |---|---|---| | City of Whittier, Alaska | $50,593,488 | Replace the DeLong Dock, seasonal floating dock, three pedestal cranes, integrated tug and barge | | Port Everglades, Florida | $30,750,000 | Harden the liquid bulk terminal, widen the slip for larger ships | | North Carolina State Ports Authority, Morehead City | $11,250,000 | 75-foot heavy-lift deck, new crane rail, dual on-dock rail extensions, OCR tracking | | Red Wing Port Authority, Minnesota | $10,161,985 | Rebuild barge loading and conveyors above the Mississippi River floodplain | | Port Freeport, Texas | $9,412,500 | Replace a 25-year-old bulk rice loader, expand berthing space | | Port of Corpus Christi Authority, Texas | $7,153,376 | Digital twin, LiDAR, sonar and sensors across pipeline, rail, road and waterway assets | | Rockport Harbor, Maine | $698,750 | 20 x 30-foot timber pier for vessel-to-truck seafood transfers |

Why it matters for freight

  • Fuel supply: MARAD says the Port Everglades work will strengthen the port's resilience to maintain critical fuel operations during severe weather.
  • Rail at the dock: Morehead City's on-dock rail extensions and optical character recognition tracking aim to speed cargo moving inland.
  • Ag exports: Red Wing's barge loading upgrade and Port Freeport's new rice loader both target bulk farm cargo.
  • Truck interface: Rockport's pier is built specifically to streamline transfers from vessels to trucks.

What DOT said

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the investment will "enhance supply chains, lower shipping costs, and create good-paying jobs." MARAD Administrator Stephen M. Carmel said it will help port communities "integrate innovative technologies, and create safer working environments."

MARAD says the U.S. has more than 300 ports operated by states, counties, municipalities and private corporations. The announcement highlighted seven of the 35 funded projects.

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