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12/28/2021
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg last week announced 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 Port Infrastructure Development Program.
The grants are part of the Biden administration’s Port Action Plan, which is designed to strengthen the nation’s supply chains to meet demand resulting from the rapid economic recovery over the past year, and help address inflationary pressures, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation press release.
Projects awarded grants include improvements to coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports and inland river ports.
Port projects that involve rail improvements covered by the grants include:• Port of Long Beach, California, Pier B Early Rail Enhancements Project, which received a $52.3 million grant. The project consists of three stand-alone components: a new locomotive facility, extension of the east rail yard and extension of the west rail yard. The project will add a 10,000-foot support track within a critical freight corridor, construct a new support facility for 24 locomotives, add three new yard tracks and extend five existing tracks.• Aberdeen Port Rail Spur Connector, awarded $4 million. This project calls for construction of 12,200 linear feet of new rail spur in Aberdeen, Mississippi. The proposed spur would provide direct access between the port along the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and Kansas City Southern. Construction includes sitework, utilities and stormwater management. Construction materials will include rail, ballast, ties and turnouts.• Bay St. Louis, Mississippi Port Bienville Rail Storage Yard, awarded $4.14 million. This project will construct a new rail storage yard to support the existing operations at the port facility. The project would add 130 additional storage spaces, construct two sets of storage tracks and a new rail siding.• Morehead City, North Carolina, Radio Island Rail Improvements Project, awarded $1.7 million. This project calls for replacing existing tracks with rail infrastructure that meets Federal Railroad Administration Class I track safety standards. Specific components of the project include replacing existing ballast and ties, replacing existing turnouts and switches, and replacing crossing surface treatments.