New round of USDOT funding for marine highways and ports open for application

Compiled by Bruce Abbe, strategic adviser for trade and transportation

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Maritime Administration (MARAD) program recently announced its next round of availability of grant funding for competitive applications under its America’s Marine Highways Program (AMHP) and the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).

The Marine Highways program has $9.5 million available for applications from facilities serving the country’s 12,000 miles of navigable inland waterways. Go here for more details.

The USDOT announced funding opportunities for ports to apply for $225 million in discretionary grant funding through the new round of Port Infrastructure Development Program. Infrastructure improvements to gateway ports and the roads and railways that serve them are eligible components.

USDOT will evaluate projects using criteria which include effect on the movement of goods, leverage of federal funding, net benefits, project readiness and domestic preference. Details can be found here.