$2.5M MARAD grant for NOLA

About $5M in federal grant funding was awarded Aug. 8 to enhance existing marine highways serving ports in Louisiana, Virginia, New York, and Connecticut; and support for the development of new container-on-barge services in Kentucky and Rhode Island. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced $4,872,000 in grants for six projects through the Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Marine Highway program, including more than $2.5M for the Port of Baton Rouge and Port of New Orleans Container-on-Barge operations in NOLA. Marine Highways provide new modal choices for cargo shippers by reducing transportation costs while at the same time reducing road maintenance costs and improved safety. MARAD works with public and private stakeholders to support the expanded use of navigable waterways to relieve landside congestion, provide transportation options, and generate public benefits by increasing efficiency of its surface transportation system. Expanding the use of waterways also support jobs at American ports and shipyards. The Louisiana container-on-barge grant will be used to purchase marine terminal and handling equipment for efficient loading-unloading of container-on-barge operations in New Orleans. The existing service relocates empty containers in Memphis to meet export customer demand in Baton Rouge. This grant will allow the service to expand to NOLA’s France Road terminal and will allow northbound containers to be off-loaded as far north as Memphis. (Source: Marine Link 08/09/18)