DOT awards $7 million in ?marine highway? grants

DOT awards $7 million in æmarine highwayÆ grants    The U.S. Department of Transportation said Monday it has awarded $7 million to three marine highway initiatives to move cargo between U.S. ports.
   'These projects demonstrate how water transportation can help solve some of our toughest transportation challenges,' said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. 'Transporting goods by water will let us reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.'
   The three projects, selected from seven finalists first announced in August are:
   ' The Gulf Container Expansion Project will receive $3.34 million to help modify two barges and purchase equipment so that SeaBridge Freight can increase the frequency and capacity of its container and breakbulk barge service between the Port of Brownsville, Texas and Port Manatee, Fla., the two ports that sponsored the application.

LaHood

   ' The James River Container Expansion Project, sponsored by the Virginia Port Authority, which will receive $1.1 million for the purchase of two barges between Hampton Roads and Richmond. The existing Hampton Roads/Richmond container-on-barge service will grow to three sailings each week by increasing the frequency of service and starting a new inter-terminal barge shuttle between terminals in Hampton Roads.
   ' The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Pilot Project, sponsored by the Port of Itawamba, Miss., which will receive $1.76 million to help purchase and modify nine barges for a new all-water container transportation service between Mobile and the Port of Itawamba, Mississippi on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and the Port of Mobile, Ala., eliminating more than 4,400 truck trips each year.
   An additional $800,000 will be used to help further study other potential marine highway concepts around the country.
   These include plans for:
   ' Feeder services between Southern California and the Pacific Northwest and another along the California Coast.
   ' Container-on-barge service between Peoria, Ill., and Gulf Coast ports.
   ' An East Coast Marine Highway initiative that proposes to begin a coastal marine service paralleling Interstate 95 and serve areas including Port Canaveral, Fla.; Baltimore, Md.; and New Bedford, Mass.

Matsuda

   ' The New Jersey Marine Highway platform, which proposes expanding water transportation to move significant freight volumes within New Jersey and along interstate routes between East Coast ports.
   'This is a key opportunity to demonstrate the benefits and viability of moving freight on the water,' said Maritime Administrator David T. Matsuda. 'These grants will help a long overlooked means of transporting goods finally grow.' ' Chris Dupin