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AAPA, ASCE Say Government Funding of Ports Must Increase

America's seaports and marine terminals must make combined investments of $46 billion over the next five years to maintain and improve their infrastructure, said American Association of Port Authorities Chairman Jerry Bridges in a Sept. 13 briefing. But he said the federal government "has not committed to matching this investment in improving the connections with our ports."

Bridges said funding for dredging federal navigation channels has decreased, and maintenance dredging is sorely underfunded, despite a nearly $7 billion surplus in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund. Landside improvements have also been too low a priority, with little of the highway funds going to freight transportation projects, he said. AAPA participated in releasing a report that said:

"It's important that these investments are recognized as an essential, effective utilization of limited federal resources, paying dividends through increased trade, jobs and tax revenues," Bridges said. "As our nation recovers from its economic troubles, we know that cargo growth will expand as well. As our nation invests in infrastructure, we must ensure that ports and their water- and land-side needs are high on the priorities list."