Caption: Container-on-barge transiting along the Houston Ship Channel.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced its latest round of grants for its America’s Marine Highway Program. Port Houston was one of nine U.S. ports awarded funding, receiving a grant for development of a business case study to explore options of building a container-on-barge facility.

Continuously striving for innovation and a diverse business portfolio, we will use the $180,000 grant to create an Operational Plan to determine if building a container-on-barge facility, located near either of our two container terminals, is a feasible option.

This study is part of an effort to explore potential for future growth and opportunities for infrastructure modifications. “This grant is an opportunity for us to explore new avenues for handling freight with greater efficiency, as volumes in this region continue to grow,” said Rich Byrnes, chief infrastructure officer for Port Houston. “We are honored to be a grant recipient and to work with MARAD.”

This is the second grant that Port Houston has received from MARAD. The first grant, for $10 million, was to build wharf 2 at the Bayport Container Terminal.