The U.S. Department of Transportation and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have formed a strategic partnership to help facilitate new projects and financing opportunities for multi-billion-dollar infrastructure improvements in the state.

The agreement will allow California to expedite work on a network of projects designed to improve the supply chain, such as port-specific upgrades; freight rail capacity expansion; warehouse storage and port facility development; highway upgrades; and more.

“California’s ports and infrastructure system is key to the country’s supply chain,” said Newsom. “Thanks to our collaboration with the Biden-Harris administration, this innovative federal-state partnership will help us fast-track those projects that will make our ports and infrastructure even more efficient. This partnership will help us jumpstart and support multiple infrastructure projects to improve our supply chain, making sure goods get to where they need to go faster, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation will support the California State Transportation Agency in developing California infrastructure projects designed to improve the capacity and resiliency of the goods movement chain, and will assist project sponsors in exploring financing opportunities for billions in infrastructure investment.

The State of California and the White House are also actively working on short-term solutions to address bottlenecks. In October, Gov. Newsom issued an executive order that directs state agencies to identify additional ways to alleviate congestion at California ports.

“Our supply chains are being put to the test, with unprecedented consumer demand and pandemic-driven disruptions combining with the results of decades-long underinvestment in our infrastructure,” said Pete Buttigieg, U.S. secretary of transportation. “That’s why this administration is working around the clock to address both near-term and long-term challenges to our supply chains, including investments such as those in the bipartisan infrastructure deal.”

Read more about the projects at this link: https://bit.ly/3qbLPvq

Kali Persall is a reporter at Institutional Real Estate, Inc. and editor of iREOC Connect.