The US federal government has awarded $5.7 million to five planned and existing container-on-barge efforts with the goal of reducing truck congestion and giving cargo owners additional, greener, and cheaper transportation options. The Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), which runs the program, has given out $33.8 million in grants over the last four years for such projects. The grants will go to waterborne freight services in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington, and American Samoa. Tidewater Barge Lines of Vancouver, Washington received the largest of the grants, $3.2 million, to support the expansion of barge services between the Port of Morrow in Boardman, Oregon and Vancouver.
