The Jacksonville Port Authority was awarded $10 million Monday from the U.S. Department of Transportation for a proposed $45 million intermodal container transfer facility that will be served by CSX and will allow the port to move cargo more efficiently from ship to rail.
The Jacksonville Port Authority was one of 828 applicants that requested funding from the third round of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery competitive grant program.
The program funds transportation projects that create jobs and significantly impact the nation, a region or a metropolitan area. The program had about $527 million to offer and received about $14.1 billion in requests.
The port did not receive the $25 million it requested, but CEO Paul Anderson said he appreciates the help for the intermodal container transfer facility.
“We are grateful that the TIGER administrators recognize that our ICTF project is worthy of significant federal investment,” Anderson said.
“We understand that the DOT is trying to make the TIGER dollars go as far as possible to do as much good as possible,” he said.
Local, state and federal leaders supported the application.
“As a key member of the House Transportation Committee, I am thrilled to announce this funding for Jaxport,” said a statement by U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, who has been a member of the transportation and infrastructure committee since being elected to the U.S. Congress in 1992.
“This new transfer facility will allow Jaxport to better compete with other ports around the world since the funding will allow them to transfer cargo off the port to its final location via rail in a quicker and more efficient manner,” she said.
Constructing a near-dock facility will allow for the transfer of cargo to rail without having to place it on trucks and transport it to a railroad yard on the Westside of Jacksonville, reducing traffic on the roads.
Anderson previously reported that the state will contribute $20 million through Florida Department of Transportation funds to the project. That still leaves the project about $15 million short of its goal.
“It’s a good basis to work from, and now we will roll up our sleeves and work on how we will get the rest of it,” said State Rep. Lake Ray.
“I consider the ICTF a game changer for us and it’s a great start for getting us there, transitioning us into a full gateway port,” he said.
Mayor Alvin Brown said Monday he met with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood last week in Washington, D.C.
“Getting $10 million for Jacksonville is good for the economy and having a public-private partnership with the delegation, the state, Jaxport and CSX shows us we can make it happen,” said Brown.
“It took all of us to do it together,” he said.
Managing Editor Karen Brune Mathis contributed to this report.
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