The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has announced plans to invest nearly $580 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund 31 port improvement projects across 15 states and one U.S. territory.

As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, MARAD said this funding will enhance both capacity and efficiency at coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports, and inland river ports.

"The port improvement projects announced today will strengthen supply chain reliability, create workforce development opportunities, enhance freight efficiency, lower costs, reduce emissions, and improve the safety, reliability, and resilience of our ports," MARAD stated in a release.

“America’s ports are essential to our nation’s supply chains, and thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, we have projects underway all across the country—from Long Beach to Milwaukee to Monroe—that are making it possible for our ports to move more goods each year and keep costs down for families,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “With the investments we’re announcing, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re building on this good work and funding more projects that will expand capacity, improve efficiency, and facilitate the quicker movement of goods at ports in more than a dozen states.”

The funding comes from MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), which received $2.25 billion through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve port infrastructure and meet the nation’s freight transportation needs.

The program offers planning support, capital funding, and project management assistance to enhance the capacity and efficiency of ports in both urban and rural areas.

“Modernizing America’s port infrastructure is essential to strengthening the multimodal network that supports our nation's supply chain,” said Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips. “Approximately 2.3 billion short tons of goods move through U.S. waterways each year, and the benefits of developing port infrastructure extend far beyond the maritime sector. This funding enhances the flow and capacity of goods moved, bolstering supply chain resilience across all transportation modes, and addressing the environmental and health impacts on port communities.”

Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Biden-Harris Administration has announced investments in more than 580 port and waterway projects to strengthen supply chain reliability, accelerate the movement of goods, reduce the costs of everyday items, and lower carbon emissions.

In February 2021, President Biden initiated a multi-agency approach to address supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He later launched the Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force and the Council on Supply Chain Resilience to further strengthen America’s supply chains.

View full list of awarded Port Infrastructure Development Program projects here.