PhilaPort has been selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to receive a $49 million grant from the 2021 Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program.
The grant funds will be used to provide gap funding for the development of a $130 million new multi-use berth at Southport.
The Southport Berth Development project will complement the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ deepening of the Delaware River shipping channel.
The deepening project is set to allow larger vessels to access PhilaPort, while the development of a new multi-use berth at Southport will allow these ships to dock directly at the Southport terminal where vehicular cargo can be efficiently stored adjacent to the berth.
“The Southport Berth Development and Port Expansion project has been ready to advance for the past several years and without this critical funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation the project would not be possible,” said Jeff Theobald , PhilaPort Executive Director and CEO.
“With this INFRA grant the port can leverage and build upon current expansion efforts made possible thanks to critical investments made by Governor Wolf and the Commonwealth.”
By increasing the region’s limited maritime Ro/Ro capacity with a new berth at Southport, auto imports can continue to be delivered directly to Philadelphia instead of other busy ports handling Philadelphia-bound goods.