Three Key Facts:
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- PhilaPort received a $217 million federal grant from the Biden-Harris administration’s infrastructure law to build a second berth at the SouthPort terminal and fill in 10 more acres for port expansion to boost efficiency and capacity.
- This expansion is part of an effort to increase the number of direct jobs supported today to about 20,000 by 2040. The development will grow Pennsylvania’s economy and the national supply chain.
- The investment aligns with PhilaPort’s 15-year strategic plan to modernize and compete with major ports like Baltimore and New York. The project is set to be completed by 2027.
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Feds’ $217 million grant is the first major step in the port’s growth strategy
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, a state agency known as PhilaPort that owns various Delaware River facilities that connect the region to international trade, is upping its game to compete with the top mid-Atlantic ports in Baltimore and New York, thanks to a $217 million investment from the Biden-Harris infrastructure law.
The major infusion of federal funds will allow PhilaPort to construct a second berth for the SouthPort terminal, enhancing the port’s capacity to onload and offload goods from vessels. It will also pay for infill construction, which will expand the port’s footprint by ten acres. The improvements will improve the port’s operational efficiency so it can handle more goods at a faster rate, and nearly double the number of direct jobs supported at the port. In all, the project will help create nearly 20,000 new jobs in the region.
U.S. Senator Bob Casey called this investment “game-changing,” highlighting its importance for both the national supply chain and Pennsylvania’s economy. “I will always fight to improve our shipping hubs to ensure that the Commonwealth’s waterways boost economic growth and create and sustain good jobs,” he said.
The funding comes from the National Infrastructure Project Assistance Program, established by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The law, envisioned and pushed by the Biden-Harris administration, allocated billions in federal dollars to upgrade infrastructure like PhilaPort in Philadelphia, repair roads, replace lead water pipes, and expand rural internet access.
PhilaPort recently unveiled a 15-year strategic plan which lays out a comprehensive vision for expanding the port to compete with other ports, grow the region’s economy and create nearly 9,000 additional direct jobs such as warehouse and dock positions and more than 10,000 indirect jobs. The $217 million grant is the first major step forward in implementing that plan.
Even before the latest federal grant, PhilaPort was one of the fastest-growing ports in the United States and a key driver of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s economy. The port already supports more than 10,000 jobs and handles imports such as automobiles, cocoa, paper products, and frozen meats. PhilaPort estimated the growth would generate $170 million more in annual state and local tax revenue by 2040.
The modernization is set for completion by 2027, when the port will be better equipped to accommodate larger vessels and more cargo. The upgrade ensures that PhilaPort continues to play a pivotal role in both regional and national commerce for years to come, boosting the local economy and sustaining good-paying jobs.
