Congresswoman Scanlon Announces $49M Grant For PhilaPort

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — Delaware County and Philadelphia's congresswoman announced a nearly $50 million grant to support the Port of Philadelphia.

Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (D-5th Distirct) and the Port of Philadelphia (PhilaPort) today announced PhilaPort has been selected to receive a $49 million INFRA Grant award from the United States Department of Transportation.

The grant will be used to build a multi-use berth to accommodate roll-on, roll-off vessels at the port.

In March 2021, PhilaPort submitted an application for a 2021 USDOT-MARAD Infrastructure For Rebuilding America Grant to cover gap funding for the development of a new $130 million multi-use berth at Southport.

The U.S. Department of Transportation received 173 INFRA Grant applications for $7.3 billion in funding. PhilaPort is one of only 24 projects selected to receive awards, totaling $906 million.

"PhilaPort is an economic engine for the greater Philadelphia region, and I am thrilled about the possibilities for growth this award will allow," Scanlon said. "The Port of Philadelphia has a centuries-old legacy as a major center of maritime industrial commerce — a legacy that I know PhilaPort leadership is eager to build upon. With funding from the 2021 USDOT-MARAD INFRA Grant, the port will not only be able to improve operations but also bring new economic opportunities to our region."

The multi-use berth project at Southport will complement the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ deepening of the Delaware River shipping channel and is expected to have significant benefits for PhilaPort operations.

The project will allow for ships to dock directly at PhilaPort’s Southport terminal, where vehicular and other cargo can be efficiently stored near the berth.

The proposed berth’s immediate proximity to rolling stock and container operations would improve efficiency and other logistical considerations, including the ability to place vehicles at a first point of rest in immediate proximity to the processing center and reducing transfers between processing centers.

In addition, the development of the Southport berth would relieve congestion at other PhilaPort berths that are better positioned to accommodate container and bulk cargo.

The improvements at PhilaPort would also lead to added benefits for the region, including employment opportunities, promoting exports by increasing efficient movement of automobile exports and increasing national export capacity, improving facilities’ resiliency by addressing current or projected vulnerabilities, and decreasing emissions.