News / US commits another $703m to improve supply chain and port infrastructure

Port of Jacksonville. Credit US Army Corps of Engineers.

US President Joe Biden’s drive for more resilient supply chains has continued with a third round of funding, topping $703m, mainly for port and inland infrastructure improvements.

The Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) will release some $450m via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $234m made available through the Consolidated Appropriations Act and around $19m left over from last year’s funding round.

Administered by the US Maritime Administration, the funds will go to 41 projects across the country bidding to offer more efficient supply chain connections.

Secretary of transportation Pete Buttigieg said: “This year we’re awarding record levels of funding to improve our port infrastructure, strengthen our supply chains and help cut costs for American families.”

The projects include the $23.5m Jaxport Express development, which will see the installation of electrified refrigerated container stacks, hybrid rubber-tyred gantry cranes, electric forklifts, 15 fast-charging points and tier-4 diesel reachstackers. In addition, Jaxport will prepare a plan to transition to net zero operations.

In Long Beach, some $30.1m has been allocated for electrification of yard handling equipment, including 60 tractors, and charging infrastructure.

Further north, in Oakland, the Outer Harbor Terminal Redevelopment Project will be boosted by $36.6m to develop a 10 ha off-dock container storage facility, and Louisiana’s Western Dock Expansion will get $10m to pave 6,500 sq metres and complete the project.

According to maritime administrator Ann Phillips, President Biden’s commitment to modernising transport infrastructure has seen “unprecedented investment in all segments of our port infrastructure to enable us to move goods more quickly, strengthen supply chain resiliency and reduce the climate impacts of port operations”.