Baltimore governor announces $10 million in federal funds to protect port

Governor Larry Hogan today announced that the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration (MDOT MPA) will receive $10 million in federal funds to help protect the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore’s Dundalk Marine Terminal against severe weather events, future sea level rise, and potential climate change impacts. The funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) transportation grant program will assist MDOT MPA’s $36.7 million Resiliency and Flood Mitigation Improvements project. The project’s remaining costs will be funded by MDOT MPA.

“The Port of Baltimore continues to be a major economic generator for our state, supporting thousands of jobs and breaking cargo records year after year,” said Governor Hogan. “This critical investment in the resiliency of Maryland’s critical infrastructure will help us ensure that freight can get to and from the Port as effectively and efficiently as possible.”

The Port of Baltimore has been ranked as the top U.S. port for handling both cars and farm and construction machinery for several years. It generates about 15,300 direct jobs, with nearly 140,000 jobs overall linked to Port activities. Last year the Port handled a record 43.6 million tons of cargo, including more than 11 million tons of general cargo at the state-owned, public terminals. It ranks 11th among major U.S. ports for cargo handled and ninth for total cargo value. 

“The Port’s Resiliency and Flood Mitigation Improvements project is critical to help protect the infrastructure that serves the Port and portions of the Baltimore region,” said MDOT Secretary Greg Slater. “This grant will help us preserve property, jobs, and the future vitality of one of Maryland’s great economic engines: the Port of Baltimore." 

Components of the Port’s flood mitigation project include deployment of berth and landside sea curbs, installation of storm drain backflow preventers, and construction of a box culvert/water storage structure to prevent flooding caused by storm surge and microburst storms.

Other initiatives include reconstructing berths at Dundalk Marine Terminal to include an integrated concrete sea curb along the face of the wharf with a top curb elevation of 10 feet. This feature will provide greater protection for the Port of Baltimore against anticipated future sea level rise and other potential climate change impacts.