Ports line up for state funding; MC project ready 3 years after grant OK'd

Louisiana’s Office of Multi-modal Commerce says billions of dollars in port projects are stuck in line for funding, with requests piling up as far back as 2019.
Julia Fisher-Cormier, the office’s director, said the program’s design allowed applications to build up without caps on approvals, even when annual funding was a fraction of the demand.
“It started out with very little funding, but the rules stayed the same,” Fisher-Cormier told The Center Square. “When the rules were promulgated there wasn’t a rule to stop acceptance of applications annually. So, in 1989 they may have funded the program at $2 million, but awarded applications for approval up to $20 million.”
The Port Priority Fund, which covers part of the cost of infrastructure projects at Louisiana’s public ports, was boosted three years ago from about $30 million annually to $40 million. Still, Fisher-Cormier said the funding level remains far below the need.
In one local example, the state approved the Port of Morgan City’s application for $15 million in Port Priority funding for its west dock expansion three years ago, port Executive Director Raymond “Mac” Wade said Wednesday. The rest of the money for the $27 million project was to come from the federal Maritime Administration ($10 million) and from the Legislature’s capital outlay budget ($2 million).
But the Port Priority approval didn’t result in a quick check. Because the program approves more funding than is available each year, recipients have to wait until their project moves up the priority list.
After three years, the Port of Morgan City received authorization for reimbursement of $5 million in project costs. Wade expects to receive $5 million in additional authorization in each of the next two years.
“It’s great to get it, but you don’t get the money for three years,” Wade said.
He’s hoping to seek bids on the project soon and to see construction begin early next year.
On Tuesday, the Joint Transportation Committee approved one more project for the queue – dock improvements and expansions at the Cameron Parish Port. The $11 million project requires $9 million in taxpayer funding and is expected to create 15 jobs at an average salary of $55,000. But given the backlog, the project may not see state dollars for years.
Twenty-eight projects costing more than $600 million in total remain only partially funded and cannot move forward until full financing is secured. The state’s share accounts for roughly $210 million. Funding is awarded based on application date, meaning older projects take precedence. The longest-waiting project is at the St. Bernard Port Harbor and Terminal District, which has only been half-funded so far.
So far in 2025, three new applications worth $21 million have been submitted, adding to the already lengthy list.
Lawmakers expressed concern Tuesday about how Louisiana’s port program compares to those in other states.
“These all are very good projects, the state receives a good return on our investment,” said Sen. Gary Carter, D-New Orleans. “They create jobs. Forty million just doesn’t seem to be enough. Our competing states are pouring money into their ports. And I want us to increase the amount that we’re doing. All of our ports require attention.”
Fisher-Cormier pointed to Texas as an example, noting its port program is funded at up to $250 million a year.
The Review’s Bill Decker contributed to the reporting for this story.