TACOMA, WA — The U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary announces the award of more than $241 million in discretionary grant funding for 25 projects to improve port facilities in 19 states and one territory through the Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).

These grants demonstrate rapid action on commitments in the Biden-Harris Port Action Plan, which will strengthen supply chains to meet demand resulting from the rapid economic recovery over the past year, and help address inflationary pressures.

“U.S. maritime ports play a critical role in our supply chains,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “These investments in our nation’s ports will help support American jobs, efficient and resilient operations, and faster delivery of goods to the American people.”

The PIDP is in its third year and has already awarded $492 million for 32 projects of regional and national economic significance within its first two years. The program supports efforts by ports and industry stakeholders to improve facility and freight infrastructure to ensure the nation’s freight transportation needs, present and future, are met. It provides planning, operational and capital financing, and project management assistance to improve ports’ capacity and efficiency.

The projects that were awarded grants include coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports, and inland river ports. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 PIDP includes priorities related to job creation, climate change, and environmental justice impacts.

“These investments will support the shift to cleaner transportation, which will create more economic activity and good paying jobs,” said the Acting Maritime Administrator Lucinda Lessley. “The Port Infrastructure Development Program is an important part of building back better for our ports, our communities, our economy, and our people.”

By announcing these grant awards now, the department is making good on a promise in the Biden-Harris Port Action Plan that will take actions to address supply chain disruptions by helping to increase Federal flexibilities for port grants; accelerate port infrastructure grant awards; initiate new construction projects for coastal navigation, inland waterways, and land ports of entry; and launch the first round of expanded port infrastructure grants funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The projects to be funded under this announcement in the Pacific Builder & Engineer area include:

The project will fund construction of an Off-Dock Container Support Facility. The project is part of the port’s capital improvement program to modernize and optimize the use of its container terminals and support facilities. The project improves 24.5 acres of land adjacent to the Husky, West Sitcum, and Washington United terminals and will help improve the movement of goods through the facility.The project includes reconstruction and rebuilding of a decades-old wooden bulkhead and related utilities to support transportation operations at the Port of Ilwaco. Work includes acquisition and installation of sheet piling, jet grouting to stabilize and strengthen the ground behind the new bulkhead, and site utility work.This project is for the development of a comprehensive master plan that evaluates the condition, performance, safety, efficiency, state of good repair, reliability, resiliency, and sustainability of the Whittier Terminal. The plan will identify areas for rehabilitation of marine, terminal, and upland infrastructure, as well as operations that support the terminal.