The U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (Marad) awarded nearly $12 million in grants to eight projects under the Marine Highways Program (USMHP). The funding will improve the movement of goods along the waterways and expand existing shipping services in Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin, strengthening supply chains and ultimately reducing costs for consumers.
“Our country has always relied on American waterways to get essential goods where they are needed. “Today we are providing new funding for eight maritime projects across the country that will strengthen our supply chains, improve our ports and help keep products affordable for American families,” the said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
The projects funded are: In Alaska, the community of Matanuska-Susitna received $944,804 to purchase a 75-ton crane Port MacKenzie; in Illinois, Kaskaskia Regional Port District received $1,008,750 to purchase eight shuttle cars; Indiana ports will have $2,250,000 available for a new crane Puerto de Mount Vernon; and in Louisiana, the Terminal and Port District Morgan City received $3,320,000 for the purchase, delivery and installation of a 220 ton crane and a 25 ton forklift.
In Texas again Beaumont Harbor Navigation District received $2,041,925 to purchase two reach stackers; in Washington, at Puerto de Bellingham The purchase of a portable barge ramp came in at $1,021,747 Bellingham Ferry Terminal, while SeaTac Marine Services now has $811,965 for a Level 4 freight elevator to Alaska. Finally, in Wisconsin, CarFerry on Lake Michigan received $600,000 to support a carbon capture and zero emissions feasibility analysis to convert the SS Badger from a coal-fired steamship to a zero emissions ferry.
