The U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) has announced a US$498 million (£371m) investment to modernise America’s ports.
The US transportation secretary Sean P. Duffy announced funding for 35 projects across 19 states.
This includes c. US$50m (c. £37.6m) to the City of Whittier in Alaska to replace the DeLong Dock, install a seasonal floating dock and a new dock manager building and acquire three pedestal cranes alongside an integrated tug and barge.
Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, will receive c. US$30m (c. £22m) to physically harden the liquid bulk terminal, widen the slip to accommodate larger ships and strengthen the port’s resilience to maintain critical fuel operations during severe weather.
A total of US$698,750 (c. £525,704) will go to the Rockport Harbor in Rockport, Maine, to upgrade commercial seafood infrastructure by constructing a 20-by-30-foot fixed timber pier, with 12 timber piles, marine-grade connectors and a vessel fendering system to streamline vessel-to-truck product transfers.
Red Wing Port Authority in Red Wing, Minnesota, has been marked for just under US$10.2m (c. £7.6m) to reconstruct its barge loading system, conveyors, electric winch and dust collection systems, increasing cargo throughput and elevating loadout infrastructure above the Mississippi River floodplain.
North Carolina State Ports Authority-MHC in Moorehead City, North Carolina, will use its allocated US$11.25m (c. £8m) to construct a 75-foot inland pile-supported concrete deck for heavy-lift cargo, install a new crane rail and add dual on-dock rail extensions. The transport body will also deploy Smart Harbor Pilot Program security system and Optical Character Recognition tracking software.
In Texas, Port Freeport will receive US$9.41m (c. £7.03m) to replace a 25-year-old bulk rice loader, install a rack system in its rice storage shed and relocate the shed’s southern wall to expand berthing space. The Port of Corpus Christi Authority will receive US$7.15m (c. £5.35m) for a digital twin model, multimodal sensing hardware and software, including survey-grade LiDAR, multibeam and side-scan sonar, high-definition cameras and transponders to provide continuous situational awareness across pipeline, rail, road and waterway infrastructure.
MARAD Administrator Stephen M. Carmel said: “The President’s commitment to modernizing our port and maritime infrastructure has resulted in an unprecedented investment that will empower local port communities to modernize their operations, integrate innovative technologies, and create safer working environments,”
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