Port infrastructure investment is accelerating across the United States as governmental agencies respond to record cargo volumes, larger vessels, supply chain resiliency concerns, and the nation’s decades-old waterfront infrastructure. America’s ports support more than $5 trillion in annual economic activity and handle approximately 2.5 billion tons of domestic and international freight each year.
Many port facilities were built decades ago and now require significant modernization to remain competitive. Federal investments through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, combined with state funding and local capital programs, continue to fuel a new wave of marine terminal, berth, channel, dock, and cargo-handling improvements. At the same time, port authorities are placing greater emphasis on environmental sustainability, resilience, and the ability to accommodate next-generation vessels while improving operational efficiency.
The following projects illustrate the breadth of upcoming opportunities which will move toward procurement over the next several years. They represent only a small sample of the investments that are underway as American ports expand capacity, strengthen supply chains, and modernize maritime infrastructure.
Officials at the Canaveral Port Authority have announced a $37.43 million project to rehabilitate two cargo berths at Port Canaveral in Florida. The berths are critical to port operations because they serve tanker vessels carrying refined petroleum products.
Project plans include modernizing aging bulkheads and rehabilitating berth infrastructure to extend the useful life of the facilities by several decades. Improvements will feature repairs to bulkhead walls, concrete bents, the pier deck, and concrete curbs. Additional work will include replacing fenders, bollards, water lines, and water stations. These upgrades are designed to improve both landside and water side infrastructure, support current tanker operations, and enhance the port’s ability to handle bulk cargo.
The project is currently in the design and engineering phase. Procurement is expected to begin in late 2026, with construction scheduled to start in early 2027.
The Municipality of Skagway, Alaska, has secured funding for its $49.5 million Industrial Dock Redevelopment Project. The investment is designed to strengthen the Port of Skagway’s industrial and freight-handling capabilities while improving operational efficiency, replacing aging infrastructure, removing hazardous materials, and supporting long-term economic diversification.
Project components include construction of a new multipurpose industrial dock, a new fuel header, a roll-on/roll-off ramp, and demolition of existing fuel lines and an aging timber dock. The new dock and ramp will support a broader range of industrial cargo movements while improving vessel access for freight, fuel deliveries, and other port operations. Additional site improvements will enhance staging areas, circulation, and overall operational functionality.
The project remains in the planning and design phase. Construction is expected to begin following completion of both phases, with work currently scheduled for 2029. Municipal officials have indicated that procurement will be conducted through an open competitive process.
City officials in Memphis, Tennessee, are advancing a $39.3 million port redevelopment initiative that will transform an inactive riverfront industrial property into a modern cementitious materials distribution terminal featuring cleaner fueling infrastructure.
Plans call for development of a terminal supporting the movement of cementitious materials by both water and land. Improvements will include terminal site development, marine unloading systems, storage facilities, materials-handling equipment, utility connections, and truck-loading infrastructure. The project also includes compressed natural gas fueling systems to support lower-emission terminal operations and improve freight movement through the port.
The project is currently in the early planning and development stage. Construction procurement is anticipated in late 2027.
Approximately $295 million has been estimated for a major modernization project at the Port of Tacoma in Washington. The initiative will deepen portions of the Blair Waterway while modernizing marine infrastructure to improve vessel access, enhance cargo operations, and accommodate larger ships serving one of the Pacific Northwest’s busiest international cargo gateways.
Current plans include deepening berth areas, constructing new toe walls, dredging portions of the Blair Waterway, and completing shoreline improvements. Environmental enhancements will also be incorporated, including creating new nearshore habitats to support long-term waterfront sustainability.
The project is currently in the design phase, with construction procurement expected to begin in late 2026.
Officials at the Duluth Seaway Port Authority will oversee a $38.3 million project to redevelop the Duluth Lake Port pier on Rice’s Point in Minnesota. Port leaders view the investment as critical to strengthening cargo-handling capacity, improving dock safety, and preparing a key waterfront site for future freight movement at the Port of Duluth-Superior.
The project will reconstruct approximately 1,150 linear feet of dock wall and redevelop 7.5 acres of laydown space. Additional improvements include demolition of former grain elevators, installation of new water service, and construction of modern stormwater infrastructure. The objective is to address aging waterfront facilities, create new industrial port space, and support expanded cargo operations at North America’s farthest inland seaport. Procurement activities will begin in late 2026, with construction scheduled for early 2027.
These projects reflect a large national trend. Port authorities throughout the country are investing not only in traditional marine infrastructure but also in resilience, environmental stewardship, freight efficiency, intermodal connectivity, and supply chain reliability. As global trade patterns continue to evolve and cargo volumes grow, investments in ports will remain near the top of the nation’s highest infrastructure priorities.
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