MARAD Awards $498 Million for 35 Port Upgrades
The Maritime Administration said it will send $498 million to 35 port projects in 19 states through its Port Infrastructure Development Program. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the funding, which covers coastal, Great Lakes and inland river ports.
Largest grants include $50.6 million to Whittier, Alaska, to replace a dock and add cranes and a tug-and-barge setup, and $30.75 million to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to harden a liquid bulk terminal and widen its ship slip. Other awards fund rail and crane upgrades at Moorehead City, North Carolina; a new bulk rice loader at Port Freeport, Texas; and sensor and tracking technology at the Port of Corpus Christi, Texas.
MARAD said the program aims to cut shipping costs and reduce delays for shippers. The agency said Duffy has now directed nearly $1.4 billion toward port and marine highway upgrades. The release lists specific projects but does not give construction start dates or completion timelines for any of the 35 awards.
What's next
- No construction or completion dates were given for the 35 projects.
- Carriers serving listed ports should watch individual port authorities for construction schedules and access changes.
All sources
- Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Invests Half a Billion into Modernizing America’s Ports, Bolstering Supply Chains | MARAD — Government site: Maritime Administration (.gov), 2026-10-27
