Port of Brownsville Adds Cargo Dock, Storage
The Port of Brownsville, Texas, on Aug. 12, opened a $27.5 million, 650-foot marine cargo dock and storage yard, an expansion designed for the port to compete more effectively with major domestic and foreign counterparts in the Gulf of Mexico region.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said it contributed $12 million to the project in the form of its Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, competitive grant program.
“The Port of Brownsville already generates $2 billion in annual economic activity for the state of Texas. But port leaders understand that the future of freight is a future of dramatically expanding shipping volumes and an increasingly competitive global economy,” said Paul Jaenichen, administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration.
The grant will accomplish more than increased capacity at the port, Jaenichen said. He added the port is an emerging regional trade hub and home to several vessel recyclers, the department said. The Brownsville maritime industry employs more than 1,200 Texans and generates jobs in other sectors of the economy.
The port said it is a leading in-transit facility and major importer of steel in the United States.
Since 2009, MARAD has helped direct nearly $500 million to 39 infrastructure projects in 23 states, DOT said, adding that the TIGER grants are intended to foster freight efficiency and future economic competitiveness. Overall, the TIGER program has provided nearly $4.1 billion to more than 340 capital and planning projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
