The U.S. Dept. of Transportation has awarded $221 million in grants to help finance infrastructure improvements at 18 ports.

DOT海事政府的奖项，宣布10月15日，将前往15个州的项目，以及18luck官网美国维尔京群岛。两个州 - 德克萨斯州和华盛顿 - 获得了两项赠款。

赠款的资金比2019财年下降了23％，当时国会为该计划拨款2.92亿美元。2019年拨款总计2.25亿美元，包括行政费用。

2020年回合的最大拨款是美国维尔京群岛的圣托马斯的2190万美元。它将有助于在皇冠湾航站楼为重建和现代化货物处理和存储基础设施提供资金。改进包括舱壁和混凝土围裙康复以及重建存储区域。

The Virgin Islands Port Authority also has received a grant for the same project from the U.S. Commerce Dept. The amount for that grant,宣布Oct. 8, is approximately the same as the one from DOT, $21.9 million.

The Commerce Dept. grant is drawn from disaster relief funds in the wake of 2017 natural disasters, including Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

高级商业部经济发展官员达娜·加兹克（Dana Gartzke）指出，维尔京群岛的港口设施在2017年被飓风艾尔玛（Irma）遭受了严重打击。Gartzke在一份声明中说，新项目“将帮助港口变得更具韧性”，以面对未来的风暴。

Norfolk, Va., received the second-largest of the new DOT grants, $20.2 million, for expansion of the International Terminals central railyard. Work includes constructing eight working tracks. It will double the existing rail capacity, according to the Port of Virginia.

The project's total cost is $44 million, according to the port. The Virginia Dept. of Rail and Public Transportation is contributing $16.7 million and the port will put up $7.4 million.

弗吉尼亚港务局首席执行官兼执行董事约翰·雷恩哈特（John F. Reinhart）在10月19日statement,扩大railyard”是合理的tep to optimizing the investment we are making there." Reinhart noted that later in October, the port will close the construction phase for a $450-million expansion program.

其他large awards in DOT's latest round of port grants include $19.8 million to Seward, Alaska; $19.5 million to Conneaut, Ohio; and $16.7 million to Wilmington, N.C.

在今年的回合中，拨款人指出，可用总的至少2亿美元必须用于沿海或大湖港口。

DOT还指出，获胜的18个项目中有8个位于机会区。18luck官网根据《 2017年减税和就业法》建立的区域为经济困扰地区的投资提供了税收优惠。

The American Association of Port Authorities welcomed the funding. Christopher J. Connor, AAPA president and chief executive officer, said in a statement, “These awards represent a significant step toward investing in one of our country’s most precious and important assets—our seaports.”

Looking ahead, for fiscal 2021 the House Appropriations Committee has approved a DOT funding bill that includes $300 million for the port infrastructure grants, up 33% from the enacted 2020 level.

But Congress has been unable to pass any appropriations measures for all of fiscal 2021, which began Oct. 1. There has been no action even at the committee level on 2021 spending bills in the Senate.

与此同时,大多数联邦项目,包括the DOT port grants, are operating at 2020 levels through Dec. 11 under a continuing resolution.

Story updated on 10/20/2020 with additional material from the Port of Virginia and corrected the number of grant recipients to say the projects are in 15 states plus the U.S. Virgin Islands.