The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (Marad) has awarded $13.28 million in funding for 11 marine highway projects across seven states through the U.S. Marine Highway Program.
According to Marad, the funding will support public and private sector partners working to expand freight movement on designated marine highway routes. Projects include transportation of municipal waste by water in Oregon and improvements to barge docks in Pennsylvania, among other infrastructure and supply chain initiatives intended to improve system resiliency and reduce congestion on landside transportation networks.
WorkBoat reached out to Marad for additional details on the specific projects selected for funding.
The U.S. Marine Highway Program is intended to increase the use of the nation’s navigable waterways to move freight, easing pressure on highways and rail systems while expanding domestic freight capacity.
The U.S. Marine Highway network includes 27,139 miles of navigable waterways across 41 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories, with 35 designated marine highway routes.
Marad said all grant recipients must comply with “Buy America, Build America” requirements associated with federal infrastructure funding.
