Biden Administration Announces Grant Funding for Port Projects

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) last week announced more than $660 million in grant funding for port projects through the agency's Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). The program aims to modernize U.S. ports, strengthen domestic supply chains and help applicants such as port authorities "complete critical port and port-related infrastructure projects." Industrial Info is tracking $25.6 billion in active capital projects at U.S. cargo ports.

The deadline for applications is April 28. According to the notice of funding document, MARAD plans to allocate all funds by September 30, 2026, after the agency and the applicant enter into a written agreement--as long as the applicant "has satisfied applicable administrative requirements, including transportation planning and environmental review requirements, such as those under the National Environmental Policy Act."

In addition to projects at major cargo ports, "the program also includes a statutory set-aside for small ports to continue to improve and expand their capacity to move freight reliably and efficiently, support local and regional economies, and support supply-chain improvement," said MARAD Administrator Ann Phillips, in a press release announcing the new funding.

Among the active U.S. port projects being tracked by Industrial Info are two smaller projects that received funding from the PIDP last year, according to a list of grant awards, when a record $703 million was up for grabs: Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority's $40 million port infrastructure upgrade project at the Port of Cleveland received $27.2 million in funding, for both the development and construction phases. The project will modernize a 144,000-square-foot warehouse and expand stormwater collection and treatment infrastructure, among other work. Construction is expected to kick off in May. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Industrial Manufacturing Project Database can click here for a detailed project report.

Another project to receive funding ($9.6 million) was a rail rehabilitation and upgrade project at the Port of Stockton in California, the state's largest inland port, from which it takes only eight hours to navigate the more than 70 nautical miles between the port and the Pacific Ocean. The project will improve the port's lead rail track by replacing or upgrading approximately 13,400 feet of existing rail and ballast, among other work. Construction is expected to begin in July, with completion in March 2024. Click here for the related project report.

In a press release announcing last year's project award, the port said it handled 4.9 million metric tons of cargo in 2021--which is up 187% since 2010--making it the fourth busiest port in California.

Meanwhile, the two busiest ports in California--the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach--handle about 40% of all cargo containers entering the U.S. The major ports account for $1.1 billion worth of active projects in Industrial Info's GMI Database; a combined $895 million is for a multi-phase project to expand the Port of Long Beach's existing Pier B rail yard--a storage and staging area for trains.

The new Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility is intended to double the port's capacity to handle cargo by train. The first rail work is expected to kick off in 2023, with the entire facility completed by 2032.

The $200 Phase 1 involves the initial rail work on the first arrival, departure and storage tracks, which will accommodate trains of up to 10,000 feet; construction on a related $95 million Phase 1A to relocate utilities already is underway. The $300 million Phase 2 entails constructing new track, lengthening existing track and constructing a new intermodal container transfer facility, among other work, and the $300 million Phase 3 involves constructing additional track on the west side of the port. Click here to see related project reports. The Port of Long Beach has received $52.3 million from the Port Infrastructure Development Program, according to the port website.

The Port of Los Angeles is expanding the Pier 400 storage yard, which includes adding five new railroad storage tracks to increase the port capacity, among other work. Construction started in February 2022, and completion is expected in 2024. Another expansion project, which is under development, received an $18.1 million federal grant last year: an expansion of the existing railyard at Berths 302-305 at the port's Fenix Marine Services Container Terminal, which is designed to add five new tracks and increase the port's existing overall on-dock railyard capacity by about 10%. Construction completion is estimated for 2025. Subscribers can see reports on the Pier 400 and railyard expansion projects.

Subscribers to the GMI Database can click here for a look at all of the reports for projects discussed in this article, and click here for the related plant profiles.

Click here for a full list of active capital-spending projects at U.S. cargo ports.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).