U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced millions in grant funds to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development for a ferry design and construction project.
The grant money will also pay for the design and building of two ferry boats to serve two coastal, rural Louisiana parishes, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation fact sheet detailing this year's Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program Awards recipients.
"We awarded $25M for two new ferry boats in rural Louisiana," Buttigieg said in a Jan. 19 Twitter post. "This investment will improve economic opportunity in these communities by providing consistent and reliable ferry service."
The money comes from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which allocates nearly $1 billion for new rural ferry programs with an eye toward ensuring essential ferry service in rural parts of the country. Under the law, rural communities are receiving the largest investments for road and bridge repair, transportation improvements and airport and port upgrades.
"We recently announced awards from the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program, which will help improve roads, bridges and transit, creating economic opportunity for millions," Buttigieg said in a post on Twitter.
The award to Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is for ferry boats across the Mississippi River between Highways 23 and 39 at Pointe à la Hache, and between Belle Chasse and Scarsdale, both in Plaquemines Parish. The second project aims to provide ferry access across the Calcasieu Ship Channel in Cameron Parish, according to the fact sheet.
"The new ferries will improve upon existing ferry services, benefiting the communities with reduced down time, lower operations and maintenance costs, reduced environmental impacts, improved safety and time savings," the fact sheet said. "Additionally, the project will improve economic opportunity in these communities by providing consistent and reliable ferry service."
