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Dozens of port-projects waiting for funding

By Nolan Mckendry August 19, 2025 | updated 1 day ago

(The Center Square) − 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.

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.

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“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.

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