International Marine Terminal gets $4.1M to expand intermodal capacity

Photo of waterfront container port in Portland

Photo / Renee Cordes A view of Portland's International Marine Terminal from the Casco Bay Bridge.

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By Staff

Intermodal shipping capabilities at the International Marine Terminal in Portland will receive a boost from a $4.1 million grant awarded Friday by the federal Maritime Administration.

The grant, from the Port Infrastructure Development Program, will help fund the "Linking Intermodal Needs and Rural Freight Knowledge” (LINK) program of the Maine Port Authority, according to a news release. The authority applied for the grant earlier this year.

Along with two other grants to the MPA, the funds will pay for a new haul road between the terminal and neighboring Merrill’s Marine Terminal, as well as warehouse renovations, consolidation of cross-docking, and expansion of bulk-to-container and container-to-bulk operations.

Since attracting Icelandic shipping company Eimskip in 2013, the International Marine Terminal has seen container volume grow by 20-30% year over year, according to the release. Even during the current pandemic and economic crisis, the MPA expects this year’s total shipping volume to match last year’s.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in the release, “This major seaport is northern New England’s only container terminal and is utilized daily by businesses and customers across our state, including L.L. Bean, Sappi, Aroostook potato growers and Washington County blueberry growers. The LINK project will create additional jobs, increase the export of Maine manufacturers’ products, and support rural economies across the state.”

Maine Port Authority CEO Jon Nass commented: “The LINK project will be the latest investment into the successful redevelopment of Portland’s working waterfront. This grant, along with others that Sen. Collins has assisted the MPA in securing, will help two Maine terminals continue to grow, create jobs, and provide critical logistical infrastructure to help grow Maine’s economy.”