U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg: “In the years ahead, these vessels will deliver vital goods, strengthen both our economy and our national security, and create good jobs for American mariners.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) at present awarded almost $39 million in grants to 12 marine freeway initiatives throughout the nation underneath the America’s Marine Highway Program (AMHP). The funding will assist develop marine freeway providers on U.S. navigable waterways to cut back congestion, tackle provide chain bottlenecks, and transfer items extra rapidly from ships to cabinets.
“At a time of record demand for goods, it’s more important than ever to strengthen our supply chains so our manufacturers can grow and American families can get the things they need quickly and affordably,” mentioned U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Today’s announcement will help improve our marine highway system across the country, alleviating congestion, modernizing port operations, and ultimately lowering the cost of goods for American families.”
Funding underneath the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law added an extra $25 million to the AMPH grants this 12 months—the biggest single funding in this system ever.
“America’s Marine Highway Program is an innovative program that encourages the use of America’s navigable waterways for the movement of freight and people, reducing congestion on land-based transportation,” mentioned Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips. “The funding announced today advances our ongoing efforts to help new marine highway services begin operation and to improve existing services.”
Since its inception, the AMHP has designated 58 Marine Highway Projects.
All Marine Highway Grants award recipients should apply, adjust to, and implement all necessities of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law “Buy America, Build America” provisions. Grant funds can be utilized to buy low-emission U.S.-manufactured gear, reminiscent of container attain stackers and cranes, so long as all iron, metal, manufactured merchandise, and building supplies are produced within the United States. In addition, funds can be utilized to buy intermodal gear—reminiscent of U.S.-manufactured container chassis—that may alleviate provide chain bottlenecks.
Projects receiving funding are:
Arkansas
Helena Harbor M-55 Container on Barge Project (awarded $2,872,414)
West Helena/Phillips Count Port Authority. The grant funds will go in the direction of buying gear to function the terminal and equip the bridge crane to deal with containers. Investments will present improved entry to the terminal and gear will present environment friendly and efficient materials dealing with capabilities.
California & Washington
M-5 Coastal Connector (awarded $5,550,000)
San Diego Unified Port Authority District. The grant funds will go towards infrastructure upgrades on the Port of San Diego that might be deployed to deal with cargo on the proposed service. The West Coast M-5 Coastal Connector service will use a barge to maneuver constructing supplies, together with lumber, in addition to containers and normal cargo alongside a U.S. West Coast north/south path to strengthen provide chain resiliency and assist tackle regional provide chain delays.
Guam
Guam Marine Transportation Enhancement Initiative (awarded $5,703,560)
Port Authority of Guam. The grant funds will go in the direction of increasing the Port’s fleet of specialised container yard gear. The gear consists of two 40-ton loaded container handlers; three 10-ton empty container handlers; 5 5.5-ton forklifts; one 180-foot growth raise; 9 container yard tractors; and two 40-plug cellular reefer turbines.
Illinois & Missouri
M-55/M-35 Marine Highway Barge Project (awarded $2,418,500)
Midcoast Terminal (SCF Lewis and Clark Terminal LLC). The grant funds will go towards the acquisition of 4 fashionable, fuel-efficient, and environmentally pleasant Hyster forklifts, a Manitowoc cable crane to load/unload unitized cargo onto barges, and a barge winch system to load/unload unitized cargo onto barges as properly. This gear might be positioned on the Port Authority of St. Louis’ Municipal River Terminal, America’s Central Port (Granite City, IL), and the Madison Harbor (Madison, IL).
Louisiana
Baton Rouge-New Orleans Shuttle Service Barge Expansion Project (awarded $1,050,000)
SEACOR AMH LLC. The grant funds will go in the direction of the acquisition of 70 chassis that might be used to assist the continued progress of the Baton Rouge-New Orleans Shuttle Service by growing cargo dealing with capability to cut back landside congestion and lowering air emissions by taking diesel vans off the street.
New Jersey
Port Raritan Terminal Facility Development Planning Grant Application (awarded $1,128,889)
Federal Business Centers (FBC), Inc. The grant funds will go in the direction of conducting preliminary design and environmental investigation actions to develop the Port Raritan Terminal Facility for energetic maritime use.
New York
New York Harbor Container & Trailer-on-Barge Service (awarded $5,160,000)
New York City Department of Small Business Services. The grant funds will go to improve six landings in New York harbor to allow these websites to accommodate freight by water. Each of those websites incorporates applicable upland situations essential for the conveyance of “last‐mile” items to native locations however lacks the required touchdown infrastructure to dock watercraft and transfer cargo to staging areas and roadways for supply. The venture would set up floating platforms with applicable tie-up and vessel docking {hardware} to efficiently safe vessels and permit for unloading through crane, hand truck, “eBike,” or motor vehicle.
New York
Oswego Port Great Lakes Container Service Reach Stacker Project (awarded $754,000)
Port of Oswego Authority. The grant funds will go in the direction of the acquisition of a attain stacker for loading and unloading containers. The attain stacker might be absolutely cellular making it versatile for transporting and stacking containers on the Port’s facility. The service will make the most of a Green Shipping Line’s Jones Act-compliant vessel modified for containerized cargo. This vessel just isn’t geared, that means it doesn’t have a crane for container loading/unloading, thus making this gear important to allow operations.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Maritime Transportation Service Project (awarded $2,800,000)
Integrated Transport Authority of Puerto Rico. The grant funds will go in the direction of acquisition of a barge for use on the Maritime Transportation Island Service route. Funding this venture will allow the Integrated Transportation Authority of Puerto Rico to enhance the transportation of palletized and unitized freight from Ceiba to the islands of Vieques and Culebra. This system will transfer industrial vans, wheeled building gear, gas, and water tankers vans between the principle island of Puerto Rico and the island municipalities of Vieques and Culebra.
Virginia
Richmond Marine Terminal (RMT) Wharf Improvements (awarded $3,712,000)
Virginia Port Authority. The grant funds will go in the direction of enhancing the wharf to allow two barges to be labored on the identical time at RMT. The RMT was opened in 1940 as a normal cargo terminal and, whereas website enhancements have been made to carry the terminal as much as up to date requirements, extra enhancements are required. The situation of the northern section of the wharf is not going to allow the secure operation of two cranes working concurrently and, subsequently, is a barrier to the terminal reaching the projected barge progress: from a present yearly throughput of 43,000 containers in 2021 to doubling container quantity by 2026.
Washington & Oregon
Tidewater M-84 Barge Service Expansion (awarded $4,168,759)
Tidewater Barge Lines, Inc. The grant funds will go in the direction of the acquisition of an electrical dock crane on the Port of Vancouver, WA. This gear will assist meet the demand for added barge shipments of municipal stable waste and different waste by the Columbia River Marine Highway M-84. This gear will develop Tidewater’s skill to load, unload, and barge containerized shipments whereas utilizing the newest electrical and low emission expertise to attain important emissions reductions.
Wisconsin
M-90 Transbay Marine Highway Equipment Acquisition Project (awarded $3,303,649)
Fincantieri Marine Group, LLC. The grant funds will go in the direction of acquisition of three varieties of gear that may facilitate the secure, sustainable, and environment friendly switch of venture cargoes from shore to vessel and again to shore. The venture advances the usage of the nation’s navigable waters in Green Bay to alleviate landside congestion, cut back air emissions, and generate different important public advantages by growing the effectivity of the area’s floor transportation system.
