Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded funding to 11 projects through the fiscal year 2023 and 2024 National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) program and 28 projects through the fiscal year 2023 and 2024 Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program. Notably, members of the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC) received over 53 percent of the awarded funding in the Mega program, totaling a staggering $1.09 billion. Likewise, CAGTC Members were successful in the INFRA program, winning $513.5 million.

Establishing a competitive funding program for largescale freight projects has been a long-time priority for CAGTC and the organization worked with lawmakers to develop and support both the INFRA and Mega programs. Created through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the Mega grant program invests in very large, complex projects that are difficult to fund by other means and will generate national or regional economic, mobility, or safety benefits. While the Mega program has broad eligibility, freight projects were the clear champions in this round.

USDOT awarded $2.9 billion through this round of the INFRA program, which provides much-needed federal funding to advance multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance. The INFRA program was established through the 2015 FAST Act and was continued in the BIL with increased funding.

Among the award recipients are several projects sponsored by or supported by members of CAGTC, including:

  • $283.37 million for the Port of Long Beach’s Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility (Mega)
  • $73.77 million for the Port of New Orleans’ Louisiana International Terminal Project (Mega)
  • $226.22 million for the Port of New Orleans’ Louisiana International Terminal Project (INFRA)
  • $130.5 million for the City of Stuart, Florida’s St. Lucie River Railroad Bridge Replacement Project (Mega)
  • $600 million for the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) Program’s I-5 Bridge Replacement Project – the largest individual grant awarded among this year’s Mega recipients (Mega)
  • $180 million for the Florida Department of Transportation’s I-4 Truck Parking Facilities Project (INFRA)
  • $95 million for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Gila River Indian Community I-10 Project (INFRA)
  • $12.28 million for the Washington State Department of Transportation and California Department of Transportation’s I-5 Truck Parking Information Management System Project (INFRA)

In addition to these successful award recipients, several of CAGTC’s members who offer consulting services contributed to winning projects.

“According to USDOT, U.S. freight activity will grow by 50 percent in tonnage between 2020 and 2050. Investments made through the Mega and INFRA programs will be critical for preparing the supply chain to meet these growing demands and securing the country’s global competitiveness moving into the future,” said CAGTC Executive Director Elaine Nessle. “We congratulate our members who received awards and commend USDOT for recognizing the importance of freight projects through its award decisions.”

The Port of Long Beach will receive $283.37 million for its Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility project. The project will complete the Pier B On-Dock Rail support Facility Program by completing the North Rail Yard Expansion and the South Rail Yard Expansion. The North Rail Yard Expansion will construct two new mainline tracks, five new 10,000-foot receiving and departure tracks, and 26 new storage tracks north of the existing Pier B Yard. The South Rail Yard Expansion will add seven new 3,000-foot storage tracks, lengthen and rehabilitate seven existing 3,000-foot storage tracks, construct two new tracks in the Pico Avenue Rail Corridor, and reconfigure tracks near Pier D Street.

“As the first Green Port, the Port of Long Beach has a long-standing commitment to reducing the environmental impact of nationally significant goods movement. An integral part of America’s Green Gateway, the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility will improve cargo velocity through our port and region while reducing the supply chain’s carbon footprint,” said Port of Long Beach Chief Operating Officer Dr. Noel Hacegaba, who also serves as an officer on CAGTC’s Board of Directors. “We thank the Biden-Harris Administration for this award, and we appreciate the leadership of Congress for providing much-needed infrastructure investment resources through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The positive impact of this project will ripple across the nation, delivering goods and benefits to all Americans.”

The City of Stuart, Florida will receive $130.5 million for the replacement of the Florida East Coast Railway/Brightline bridge over the St. Lucie River. The project is supported by the Florida East Coast Railway. The project will replace the existing 100-year-old St. Lucie River Railroad Bridge with a new double-track structure with significantly improved vertical and horizontal navigational clearances.

The Port of New Orleans will receive $73.77 million for its Louisiana International Terminal project through the Mega program and $226.22 million through the INFRA program. The Louisiana International Terminal will be built through a historic public-private partnership between the Port of New Orleans and two private terminal operators, one of which being CAGTC Member Ports America. The project will construct a new container terminal on the Gulf Coast that is not air-draft restricted that includes approximately 1,700- feet of wharf, two ramps to connect the wharf to the container yard, an automated stacking crane yard, necessary buildings for operations, entry and exit gates, and an intermodal rail yard.

“On behalf of the entire team at the Port of New Orleans, I would like to thank Louisiana’s federal delegation, state leadership and the Biden Administration for sharing our vision to build a new efficient gateway that will increase the flow of trade to America’s heartland,” said Port NOLA President and CEO Brandy D. Christian. “This is a critical project of national significance that will meet market demands for much-needed supply chain solutions, create jobs and provide opportunity for generations to come. With Louisiana’s unmatched inland connections and with no bridges in its way, the new state-of-the-art Louisiana International Terminal will serve as the leading global gateway for the movement of cargo on the Mississippi River and the inland waterways of the United States.”

"For several years, Louisiana has needed a new state-of-the-art container terminal facility to service the larger and newer container vessels oversized for the Crescent City Connection Bridge. Ports America congratulates the Port of New Orleans, the State of Louisiana, and Louisiana's federal delegation on securing $73.8 million in U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) MEGA grant funding and $226 million in USDOT INFRA grant funding for the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) project. The Port of New Orleans successful grant awards are among the most significant federal investments in a new multi-modal container terminal project in USDOT history. This substantial federal investment, coupled with local, state, and private investment, is a clear and definitive next step toward developing the only viable southern Mississippi River global container terminal gateway. With over 100 years of operations in New Orleans, Ports America is excited to be a partner for the next century,” said Tom Saunders, CAGTC Board member and Vice President of Government Affairs for Ports America.

The Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) Program will receive $600 million for its I-5 Bridge Replacement Project. The project is supported by the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Port of Vancouver USA. The project will update Interstate 5 with a seismically resilient replacement of the I-5 bridge over the Columbia River, connecting Vancouver, Washington to Portland, Oregon. The bridge is expected to have specialized lanes for heavy trucks, rail connections, and shipping.

“We are thrilled that the Interstate Bridge Replacement program was selected as one of the projects that will receive federal funding from the USDOT Mega grant program. The existing bridge is a critical link on one of the most significant freight corridors on the West Coast, with nearly 14,000 trucks carrying $132 million in freight commodity across the bridge each day. This grant demonstrates that addressing the safety and reliability challenges faced by travelers and freight on this aging and outdated facility is a high priority for the federal government as well as both states,” said Roger Millar, Secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation.

“The I-5 bridge is incredibly important to the Port of Vancouver USA and our ability to transport freight,” said Julianna Marler, CEO of the Port of Vancouver USA. “This north-south route from Canada to Mexico is also vital to national and international trade, but the century-old infrastructure that currently exists creates costly delays that hamper employers, commuters and our economy. Securing $600 million from the MEGA Program to modernize this section of the I-5 corridor is a monumental step toward fixing this chokepoint and keeping our economy moving.”

The Arizona Department of Transportation will receive $95 million for its Gila River Indian Community I-10 Project, which is supported by the Maricopa Association of Governments. The project will widen approximately 10 miles of I-10 from two lanes to three lanes with inside and outside shoulders, improve the SR387/SR 187/ Pinal Avenue interchanges, and remove or replace the low-clearance bridges.

“Better connecting the state’s two largest cities of Phoenix and Tucson is critical to expand economic growth and improve safety,” said Maricopa Association of Governments Chair and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “This $95 million award is leveraged by $221 million our region has already invested in this important project. Federal funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides opportunities to partner and not only make our local dollars go further, but help deliver important solutions faster.”

The Florida Department of Transportation will receive $180 million for its I-4 Truck Parking Facilities Project. This project will add approximately 917 truck parking spaces across four sites along I-4 in District Five in Central Florida.

The Washington State Department of Transportation and the California Department of Transportation will receive $12.28 million for their I-5 Truck Parking Information Management System Project. The project will deploy a regional truck parking information management system at approximately 54 truck parking facilities along the I-5 corridor in Washington, Oregon, and California. Additionally, the project will collect and disseminate real-time truck parking information to connect truck drivers with available truck parking.