Foxx bus tour makes stops at transportation projects in South Carolina, Georgia

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx yesterday met with Vice President Joe Biden and several other officials at the Wando Welch Terminal project in Charleston, S.C., as part of his four-day GROW AMERICA Express bus tour.

The Port of Charleston’s largest terminal, Wando Welch is responsible for 63 percent of all cargo moving through the port. Funded in part by a $10.8 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant, the terminal’s $63 million project aims to increase terminal usage through structural repairs and upgrades. Wando Welch Terminal is served by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway.

Foxx commended the project on its potential to create jobs for local residents.

"The infrastructure we’re helping to build here at the Wando Welch Terminal means a safer, more efficient and economically competitive facility," he said in a press release. "The ability to attract bigger ships to the Port of Charleston means more jobs and business throughout the entire region, but even more importantly, it allows our nation to be more competitive globally."

Foxx also stopped in Savannah, Ga., on Tuesday at the site of a proposed road and rail project. The $26 million project calls for creating new roads for the State Route 25/Interstate-516 interchange, and relocating NS tracks to eliminate grade crossings.

The GROW AMERICA Express bus tour aims to highlight the importance of investing in the nation's infrastructure and encourage Congress to act on a long-term transportation bill.