California to use $75 million to upgrade, decarbonize, rehabilitate ports

California will use $74.5 million from the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) to decarbonize, upgrade and rehabilitate four ports along its coast.

The largest award, $52.6 million, will allow the port of Long Beach to add a third intermodal railroad track to a port channel crossing. The port will also improve roadways by relocating and modernizing pier and on-dock roadways, realigning an avenue and replacing and relocating aging utilities. 

The San Diego Unified Port District received $11.25 million to rehabilitate the infrastructure of two berths at the city’s National City Marine Terminal (NCMT). The city will also install electrical infrastructure and equipment to allow docked vessels to access grid-based electricity. Other improvements include installing lighting upgrades for terminals, warehouses and associated infrastructure. 

The city of Eureka received $8.7 million for studies, site design and engineering, site investigations and permitting activities for a heavy-lift facility at the Humboldt Bay port. The project will help develop an offshore wind farm as well as support project management, grant administration and the in-development Baywide Master Plan. 

The city of Oxnard received $2 million for a three-level parking structure at the Port of Hueneme. The project is currently in the planning phase. 

The PIDP is a discretionary grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for projects that grow capacity, increase efficiency and improve resiliency across the nation’s ports. 

USDOT in November released $653 million from the PDIP to support 41 projects nationwide. Criteria for funding included reviewing how the projects would safely, efficiently and reliably move goods; improve resiliency to future economic challenges; increase economic viability; and maintain environmental quality and sustainability. 

^{Strategic Partnerships, Inc. can provide information on contract opportunities, plus existing and future government funding. For more information, contact research@spartnerships.com.}