Ports and Flood Control Unit

The purpose of the port program is to insure that adequate landside facilities are available to meet a definite market need by providing guidance and public funds to build landside infrastructure; thereby, providing jobs and competitive transportation cost to move cargo, minimizing highway congestion, improving safety and reducing maintenance cost on our highways.

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The Port Construction and Development Priority Program was created by Act 452 of the 1989 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature. The funding for the program is the Transportation Trust Fund, which was approved as a constitutional amendment in January 1990. Before this program, the State funded port projects through the Capital Outlay Program without requiring detailed feasibility studies. From 1977 to 1984 Louisiana expended more funds for ports than any other state in the Union. For this period Louisiana spent $25,985,000 on shallow draft ports and $173,424,000 on deep draft ports for a total of $199,409,000 (Ports and Waterways Institute, Louisiana Statewide Ports Assessment, 2 vols., Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University, 1986).

The creation of the Port Construction & Development Priority Program changed the method by which Louisiana participates in port improvements. The feasibility of proposed port projects must now be determined and the projects must be prioritized.

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Any Louisiana public port authority may apply for funding of a proposed port project.

The types of projects that shall be funded by the program is limited to the construction, improvement, capital facility rehabilitation and expansion of publicly owned port facilities including intermodal facilities and maritime-related industrial park infrastructure developments. Projects such as wharves, cargo handling capital equipment, utilities, railroads, priminary access roads and buildings which can be shown to be an integral component of any proposed port project.

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Any Louisiana public port authority may submit an application for funding to the Department of Transportation & Development between October 1st and November 1st for funding consideration in the following fiscal year. The applications shall include a description of the project, demonstration of immediate need, benefits to be derived, preliminary design, cost estimate and a description of the project area. The program may provide up to 90% of the cost of construction.

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Additional information about the Port Constructioin & Development Priority Program may be requested as follows:

1. Telephone: (225)274-4339
   
   
2. Facimile: (225)274-4344
   
   
3. Mail:
   • Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development
   • Port Construction & Development Priority Program
   • Airport, Room 223
   • 8900 Jimmy Wedell Dr.
   • Baton Rouge, LA
   • 70807
     
     
4. Pick up:
   • Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development
   • 8900 Jimmy Wedell Dr., Room 223
   • Baton Rouge, LA
   
   
   
5. Submitting the following request on-line:

   Your Email Address:	(not required)
   Your Name:
   Name of Sponsoring Authority:
   Mailing Address:
   City:
   State
   Zip code: