The Port of Portland recently received several grants that will make possible $42 million of infrastructure improvements at Terminal 6, Oregon’s only marine container terminal.

Last month, the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program—which funds port improvement, safety, and efficiency projects around the U.S.—awarded the Port $24.3 million.

In May, the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Connect Oregon grant program—which invests in non-highway modes of transportation to ensure Oregon’s transportation system is strong, diverse, and efficient—awarded the Port $7.3 million.

Together, these awards will help modernize T6, a marine terminal that has provided access to global markets for 50 years. The funding enables a project to increase efficiency, productivity, and safety of cargo handling at T6.

“Without these improvements to the Terminal, businesses and workers throughout the Pacific Northwest, especially those in rural and disadvantaged communities, would lose their most cost-effective and reliable access to national and global markets,” said Port of Portland Chief Operating Officer Dan Pippenger.

“T6 has two direct services to Asia that benefit importers and exporters, plus on-dock rail that reaches into the U.S. Midwest, providing unparalleled access for Oregon businesses.”

Specifically, the grants fund the project at T6 that will:

• replace electrical components to reduce energy consumption and enable future zero-emission operations;
• add a stormwater system to improve water quality entering the Columbia River;
• install two emergency generators to provide backup power during seismic events or other power outages;
• expand and strengthen 9 acres of pavement for additional container storage; and,
• upgrade pavement on 30 acres of the existing container yard.

Improving operational conditions that support direct container service at T6 will benefit Oregon and other west coast importers and exporters. The Port appreciates the support of federal and state elected officials in this effort as their support was, and will continue to be, key to the Terminal’s future success.  

The project will drive the prosperity of the State of Oregon and west coast shippers as the Port of Portland is focused on leveraging the Port’s resources to support the economic vitality of the region and enable the community and workforce to benefit through both the construction and operation of the Project.