AAPA Congratulates Recipients of $498m MARAD Port Development Grants

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) congratulates the 35 award recipients of the Maritime Administration's (MARAD) Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grants from the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) application cycle.

This year, the mainstay port industry grant program, administered by MARAD under the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), will invest $498 million to upgrade America’s ports in 19 states. A few project examples funded by this round of awards include:

• Relocation, widening, and physical hardening of a slip at a liquid bulk facility on Florida’s Atlantic Coast;
• Purchase of a digital twin model, multi-modal sensing hardware, and software programming resources for a major energy export hub in Texas.
• Restoration of existing piles, beams, deck surfaces, and berthing systems to rehabilitate an existing berth at a small Northern California port; and
• Procurement of new cargo handling equipment such as mobile harbor cranes and reach stackers to expand container trade on the Great Lakes.

This year’s FY26 PIDP awards include the final advanced appropriations funding for PIDP from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Funding for PIDP is set to dramatically decline next year, barring Congressional action. AAPA maintains