Puerto Rico Ports Authority gets $10M grant from US Dept. of Transportation
The US Department of Transportation announced it has awarded the Puerto Rico Ports Authority a $10 million grant to fund the reconstruction of the Tender Pier and Dock B in the Pier 15 area in Old San Juan.
US Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the award of more than $241 million in discretionary grant funding for 25 projects to improve port facilities in 19 states and Puerto Rico through the Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).
These grants “will strengthen our supply chains to meet demand resulting from the rapid economic recovery over the past year, and help address inflationary pressures,” he said in a release.
In August, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority announced it had submitted a grant application for $10 million to cover 80% of the cost associated with rehabilitating operations at Pier 15 at the Port of San Juan, as News is my Business reported.
Puerto Rico’s funding allocation will also float the design and construction of an Outfitting Pier to enhance Ro-Ro operations at Pier 15. The reconstruction activity addresses infrastructure damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and María.
The Pier 15 area supports vessels that transport cargo between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, islands in the Lesser Antilles, and ports along the east coast of the United States.
Last week, Puerto Rico Ports Authority Executive Director Joel Pizá offered a rundown of the agency’s achievements in 2021, which included significant repairs to regional airport facilities in Ceiba, Ponce, Aguadilla, and Isla Grande.
The list included several reconstruction projects at several port facilities, including cruise ship piers in San Juan as well as work for cargo operations.
“The year 2021 gave way to a capital improvements program that will extend through 2024 that proposes $200 million in projects targeting maintenance, rehabilitation and development of maritime and aerial infrastructure in Puerto Rico,” said Pizá.
Pizá sees 2022, “as an extremely encouraging one. More than having a work agenda, we have the willingness and commitment to continue contributing to economic development at the island’s air and sea ports.”
