The US$226.2M has been awarded to the Port Of New Orleans through the US Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s) Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) competitive Grant Program. INFRA is an initiative of the Biden administration to rebuild the country’s infrastructure through funding of multimodal freight transport and highway projects.

The latest DOTT funding follows an award of US$73.8M to the port through the department’s MEGA grant program in December. Collectively, the money will be spent on constructing the first phase of what is estimated to be a US$1,8B project.

“This grant funding is a historic step towards transforming the economic landscape of Louisiana and solidifying our position as the premier international Gulf gateway. This additional investment will leverage Port of New Orleans’s extensive connectivity to interstate systems, railroads, waterways, and hubs,” said Congressman Troy A. Carter. (LA-02).”This is yet another example of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law bringing critical investments to our great state, and I am proud to see the legislation I championed yield big results.”

Potentially, the development of LIT will change the role and business dynamics of both the port and city of New Orleans.

 “We are incredibly honoured to receive this landmark grant award, which underscores decades of site and market analyses and reflects the recognition of our transformational project on a global scale,” said Brandy Christian, president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans. “Not only is this the biggest economic development grant in Louisiana history, but also the largest federal investment in a new container terminal in USDOT history. We express our deepest appreciation to Louisiana’s federal delegation, state leadership and the Biden Administration for their confidence in our vision and look forward to delivering on this investment.”

LIT is being developed in Violet through a US$800M public-private partnership between the Port of New Orleans, New Jersey-based terminal operating company, Ports America and the world’s largest liner shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company and its affiliate Terminal Investment Ltd.