US container terminals and their carrier customers will receive a major financial boost following targeted grants from the federal government aimed at heavy-lift capabilities, ship-to-shore handling, and cold-chain infrastructure.
The grants are part of a $498 million funding round under the Port Infrastructure Development Program, overseen by the US Department of Transportation and the Maritime Administration. The latest round spans 35 projects across 19 states.“The strength of our nation’s economy is directly tied to the state of our ports,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in announcing the grants. “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.”
Key terminal and Infrastructure upgrades include:
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Jaxport (Jacksonville, Florida): $40 million for Phase I of the Blount Island Marine Terminal Berth Modernization, reconstructing roughly 900 linear feet of berth to integrate heavy-duty crane rails and improve structural load capacity.
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Port of Vancouver (Vancouver, Washington): $18 million to strengthen Berth 8 with fiber-reinforced polymer for heavy cargo equipment, deploy a rotating container handler, and retrofit mobile harbor cranes.
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Washington United Terminals (Tacoma, Washington): $11.38 million to upgrade mooring bollards for larger container vessels and build concrete runways tailored for rubber-tired gantry cranes.
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Burns Harbor (Portage, Indiana): $11.2 million to purchase mobile harbor cranes, reach stackers, and heavy handling gear to stand up a new Great Lakes container service.
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Penn Terminals (Eddystone, Pennsylvania): $11.25 million to centralize cold-chain operations by installing 840 refrigerated container plugs and reefer rack systems tied directly to shore power.