TIGER II Transport Grants Include Port, Marine Highway, Intermodal Rail Projects
The TIGER II1 transportation infrastructure projects announced by Transportation Secretary LaHood on October 20, 2010 include port improvements in various locations, a new port and harbor facility in Tennessee, marine highway investments, and intermodal rail improvements, among other things.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
(See ITT’s Online Archives or 10/21/10 news, 10102105, for initial BP summary of Secretary LaHood’s announcement of the TIGER II transportation projects.)
Road Projects Account for 29%, Rail for 20%, Ports for 16%
According to the Department of Transportation, roughly 29% of TIGER II money goes for road projects, 26% for transit, 20% for rail projects, 16% for ports, 4% for bicycle and pedestrian projects and 5% for planning projects.
The following are examples of some of the trade-related TIGER II capital construction projects:
Port of LA -- Intermodal West Basin Railyard
The West Basin Railyard project at the Port of Los Angeles will construct an intermodal railyard, which includes staging and storage tracks connecting on-dock railyards with the Alameda Corridor. It will also include a railyard for the short-line railroad serving Union Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach. And the project will remove two at-grade rail-highway crossings, relieving congestion. (TIGER II funds: $16,000,000). Port of LA press release available here.
Port of Miami -- Intermodal Container Rail Service
Tiger II dollars will help establish intermodal container rail service to the Port of Miami, FL by building an intermodal yard and making necessary rail and bridge improvements. Specifically, the project will upgrade rail, signals and switching between the Florida East Coast Railroad (FEC) Hialeah rail yard (adjacent to the Miami International Airport) and the Port. In addition, the Tiger II dollars will be used to create an intermodal container rail transfer facility complete with a crane at the Port, and to pay for electrical, mechanical and structural repairs on the rail bridge to the Port. (TIGER II funds: $22,767,000)
Cates Landing, TN -- Building a Port and Harbor Facility
Tiger II dollars will be used to build a port and harbor facility on the Mississippi River, at Cates Landing in Tennessee. Dock facilities will be constructed and additional, necessary, on-site improvements will be made to create a connection between barge traffic at the port and truck freight movement. The port will be the deepest between Baton Rouge and St. Louis. The project is near multiple interstates and will be constructed following the guidelines of Clean Ports USA. It is also supported by numerous public and private entities. (TIGER II funds: $13,000,000)
Port Manatee, CO -- Marine Highway
The Port Manatee, CO project will allow the Port to become an important part of the Marine Highway program. A 32 acre container terminal, 20 acres of which will be paid for with Tiger II funds, will be constructed adjacent to the existing 1,000 foot berth. The yard will expand the Port’s cargo storage capacity both for the Marine Highway operation and for other tenants. (TIGER II funds: $9,000,000)
San Bernardino, CA -- Airport Access to Increase Cargo Operations, Etc.
The San Bernardino, CA Airport Access project will expand roadway capacity to provide safe, direct and efficient freeway access on SR 210 and Del Rosa Drive to the new San Bernardino International Airport. The project will widen the freeway interchange on the southbound SR 210 ramps at 5th Street, widen additional roadways, and improve drainage on 5th Street from SR 210 to Del Rosa Drive and along Del Rosa Drive between 5th Street and the primary airport entrance. The increase in roadway capacity will enable San Bernardino International Airport to increase cargo and passenger operations in a redevelopment on the former Norton Air Force Base site. (TIGER II funds: $10,000,000)
West Vancouver, WA -- Freight Access
The West Vancouver, WA Freight Access project will construct a new rail access route to alleviate rail traffic congestion at the Port of Vancouver. The project will relocate facilities within the port to provide a new entryway into port terminals. It will also provide internal storage capacity that will accommodate multiple unit-trains more than 170 rail cars long and expand freight shipping capacity for the port to accommodate a new eight million ton per year potash facility and other new freight. TIGER II dollars will help the State of Washington and the Port complete this project. (TIGER funds: $10,000,000)
Coos Bay, OR -- Bay Rail Line Rehabilitation
The Port of Coos Bay, OR project will rehabilitate the track structure of the 133-mile Coos Bay Rail Link, which closed in 2007 as a result of deferred maintenance. Money received from the TIGER II program will be used to rehabilitate the entire track structure. Work activities will include replacement of worn-out rails, fasteners, and wood ties; re-establishment of proper surface, line, and dress of the track; drainage improvement of the track bed; and enhancing the ballast bed. (TIGER II funds: $13,573,133)
Port of Providence -- Crane Replacement, Green Electricity
This project will expand and upgrade the Port of Providence in Rhode Island. TIGER II dollars will help replace two aged diesel cranes, one of which is currently non-functional, with new electric, barge-based cranes that will enable the Port to handle container traffic. The Port also plans to install wind turbines and solar panels that are expected to generate enough electricity to cover all the port’s electrical needs. The improvements to the port will enable short sea shipping, which will reduce highway bottlenecks caused by truck traffic. (TIGER II funds: $10,500,000)
(See notice for description of the TIGER II planning grant projects.)
1The Recovery Act included a Discretionary Grant Program known as TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) to spur a national competition for innovative transportation projects that promise significant economic and environmental benefits to an entire metropolitan area, region, or the country. TIGER II is the second round of this program. (See ITT’s Online Archives or 02/25/10 new, 10022515, for BP summary highlighting projects from the first round of grants.)
American Association of Port Authorities press release, dated 10/20/10, available here.