Friday, November 8, 2013

California Green Corridor barge project to lower state highway emissions

Last week MARAD dedicated the California Green Trade Corridor, which will reroute freight traffic off I-580 moving cargo along the water between the ports of Oakland, Stockton and Sacramento. It is projected that running two barges per week between Oakland and Stockton will cull approximately 200 trucks per day from the highway, lowering chronic traffic congestion and emissions.

Acting Maritime Administrator Paul Jaenichen joined state and local officials for the dedication of the project, funded by a $30 million DOT grant and from $5 million from local sources.

"This $30 million investment in public infrastructure is an important part of President Obama's national initiative to double America's exports by 2015," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "This Marine Highway will help get cargo off the highways and onto our waterways, improving traffic on our roads while providing an efficient, environmentally-friendly option within our freight system."

Marine Highway M-580, also known as the California Green Trade Corridor, nearly parallels the I-580 corridor between California's Central Valley and Oakland, one of the most heavily traveled highways in the country. When the corridor operates at full speed, barges will make three round-trips on the corridor per week.

"The Green Trade Corridor is a win-win solution for Northern California and the millions of Americans and businesses who rely on it to send and receive goods," said Jaenichen. "This new efficient and environmentally friendly transportation alternative is also creating jobs in Stockton."

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