The federal government will establish a new national network of marine highways to help move cargo across the country in order to cut congestion on some of the nation’s busiest highways, according to Department of Transportation information (DOT).
The initiative calls for the selection and designation of key maritime inland and coastal maritime corridors as marine highways. The routes will be eligible for up to $25 million in existing federal capital construction funds and ensures that the communities will continue to qualify for up to $1.7 billion in federal highway congestion mitigation and air quality funds.
DOT said the initiative makes it easier for companies to take advantage of the new maritime routes by providing businesses with assistance in locating shippers willing to move goods by water.
The announcement was made at the James River Barge Line in Norfolk VA. The company plans to move cargo up the James River to Richmond VA, shifting more than 4,000 trucks-worth of cargo off nearby I-64 and onto the waterway, according to the information.