Listen to this article 5 min
Hawaii will receive $23.5 million to improve Kawaihae Harbor on Hawaii Island, according to a recent announcement from U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz's office.
According to the announcement, the funding comes from the Port Infrastructure Development Program, and follows legislation, authored by Schatz and signed into law last year, that made it easier for Hawaii to compete for grant funding through this program.
The funding will be used to widen the highway adjacent to the port, pave 10 acres in the cargo yard, build a new 80-foot mast lighting to replace lower-lighting equipment, install conduit and raised transformer pads for expanded reefer plug-ins, and relocate an office building and a maintenance shed, the announcement noted.
“As West Hawaii continues to grow, its port is critical to keeping goods flowing and its local economy moving,” Schatz, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, said in a statement. “This new funding will help improve Kawaihae Harbor so that residents can continue to get the food and supplies they need, while lowering shipping costs for everyone.”