AASHTO Journal - MARAD Issues $498M in Grants to Support 25 Port Projects

The U.S. Maritime Administration – known as MARAD – recently issued $498 million to support 35 coastal seaport and river port projects across 19 states via its Port Infrastructure Development Program or PIDP.

[Above photo by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]

“The strength of our nation’s economy is directly tied to the state of our ports,” noted Sean Duffy, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, in a statement. “This nearly half-billion-dollar investment will deliver critical upgrades to ports across America so we can enhance supply chains, lower shipping costs, and create good-paying jobs for hardworking Americans.”

Several state departments of transportation are helping disburse that federal funding to port projects in their respective regions.

For example, the Hawaii Department of Transportation received more than $40 million from this round of PIDP grant funding to help support the $56 million Port of Kahului Cargo Yard Expansion project; a project that aims to significantly increase the facility’s on-shore capacity and overall operational efficiency.

Hawaii DOT noted that the balance of the total project cost, $16 million, will be matched by state funds from the state’s Harbor Special Fund.

“This landmark investment in the Port of Kahului is critical to sustaining Maui’s long-term economic recovery and resilience, while ensuring uninterrupted service in our supply chain for Maui and statewide,” noted Ed Sniffen, Hawaii DOT’s director, in a separate statement.

“Expanding our landside capacity ensures our harbor can seamlessly handle the surge of incoming construction materials, heavy equipment and modular homes vital to rebuilding Lahaina, while providing the infrastructure needed to move local agricultural exports to market efficiently,” he said.

“Without federal grant assistance, major development at Kahului would not have started for 10 to 15 years,” stressed Dre Kalili, deputy director of transportation for harbors, who added that the federal funding enables Hawaii DOT to accelerate construction with a targeted project completion in 2029.

MARAD Administrator Stephen Carmel noted that this is the latest in a series of investments by his agency that will help “empower local port communities to modernize their operations, integrate innovative technologies, and create safer working environments.”

In May, MARAD issued $774 million to 37 U.S. coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports, and inland river ports to help strengthen the nation’s supply chain and improve America’s maritime system.

The agency also issued more than $13.2 million in funding to 11 marine highway projects across seven states through the U.S. Marine Highway Program in early April, alongside a $35 million investment to help revitalize America’s small shipyards and $500 million pool of grants to fund port improvements.