Port of Gulfport seeks federal funding for estimated $62 million intermodal expansion
The Mississippi State Port Authority at Gulfport has submitted applications to two federal grant programs for an estimated $62 million project aimed at improving intermodal efficiency, safety and operations at the Port of Gulfport.
The authority said in a July 9 update that it applied for funding through the federal Port Infrastructure Development Program, known as PIDP, and the INFRA program. The proposal is called the Port of Gulfport Intermodal Efficiency, Safety and Expansion Project.
The applications are requests for funding, not announcements of an award or construction start. The available update did not say that either grant had been awarded.
Project estimate and local match
The project is estimated to cost $62 million, according to the port authority. It identified a 20% Mississippi State Port Authority match for the proposed work.
That estimate and match are part of the grant applications. The authority’s update did not provide a project schedule, a final construction scope or a timeline for a federal funding decision.
The stated goals are to improve port infrastructure, safety and operational efficiency. The project title also identifies intermodal efficiency and expansion as central elements of the proposal.
What the applications mean
The applications place the proposed Gulfport work before federal funding programs while the port authority seeks outside support for the estimated cost. As of the July update, the authority was still seeking federal funding.
The proposal concerns the Port of Gulfport, a local transportation and freight facility whose infrastructure and operations can affect how goods move through the port. The authority did not report a final project design or describe the specific improvements that would be made if funding is secured.
The update also did not provide job-creation estimates, an economic-impact projection or a commitment that the project will proceed. Those outcomes should not be assumed from the grant applications.
Next step remains federal review
The next known stage is federal review of the applications. Whether either program will provide money, and what terms could accompany an award, were not stated in the available port authority update.
The project schedule and final scope may change during that review. For now, the confirmed development is that the Mississippi State Port Authority has sought PIDP and INFRA funding, with a proposed 20% authority match, for the estimated $62 million Port of Gulfport Intermodal Efficiency, Safety and Expansion Project.
Sources
- From the Desk of Jon Nass, Mississippi State Port Authority at Gulfport
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