MarAd Adds 848 Miles To Marine Highway Program
Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy announced July 10 that the Maritime Administration (MarAd) has designated 848 new miles of navigable waterways under the U.S. Marine Highway Program and approved 14 new marine highway sponsors. The network of waterways, which now covers 27,139 miles across 35 designated routes, supports U.S. supply chains, critical infrastructure and maritime workforce development.
A highlight of the expansion is the development of the M-90 route, which runs 2,345 miles through the Great Lakes, connecting Minnesota to New York. Seven new sponsors have joined M-90, including the state departments of transportation for Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan and New York, as well as the Ports of Indiana and the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority.
“Coming from the Midwest, I’ve seen firsthand how maritime dominance isn’t just about our oceans,” Duffy said. “Our nation’s many rivers and inland ports are crucial resources to moving great American products to markets across the country and around the world. Expanding the Marine Highway Program will strengthen the Great Lakes economy and other regional communities.”
Adding to the list of M-90 local sponsors will be key to building out the marine highway, said acting Maritime Administrator Sang Yi.
“By adding local sponsors to the Marine Highway Program who know these regions well, we can help more American communities and businesses prosper,” Yi said. “Bringing more partners into the marine transportation network is a no-brainer.”
The Marine Highway Program seeks to support reliable waterway usage that also eases congestion in other modes of transportation, including road and rail. The network of navigable waterways provides shippers with additional options that support jobs and economic growth in port communities and along freight corridors. The Marine Highway Program awards federal grants to eligible public- and private-sector projects along designated routes. Route sponsors are responsible for endorsing applicants who are seeking federal assistance through a marine highway grant. Sponsors ensure localized oversight for marine transportation proposals within their regions.
Newly designated routes and their new sponsors include M-23, 20 miles on the Big Sandy River, co-sponsored by Kentucky and West Virginia’s departments of transportation; M-24, 382 miles on the Cumberland River, co-sponsored by Kentucky and Tennessee’s departments of transportation; M-165, 109 miles on the Green River, sponsored by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet; and M-167, 337 miles on the Ouachita River, co-sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development and the Arkansas Waterways Commission.
The U.S. Marine Highway Program is currently accepting grant applications through July 15, 2025. The Notice of Funding Opportunity and application details can be found on grants.gov.
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Featured photo caption: A map of the Maritime Administration’s network of Marine Highways. (Courtesy of the U.S. Maritime Administration)
