(Seattle, WA) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), chairman of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Committee, announced that through a program that she created in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Port of Vancouver will receive $10 million for shovel-ready construction projects to increase the capacity and efficiency of the port. The funding is part of the Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER II) program that Senator Murray created to invest in major transportation projects that create jobs and bolster regional economies.

"This is a huge victory for creating jobs and boosting the economy of Southwest Washington," said Senator Murray. "Increasing the capacity and efficiency of the Port of Vancouver will help eliminate a bottleneck at the port, create thousands of local jobs, and will bring critical economic growth to Southwest Washington."

Funding will be used for the construction of shovel-ready project elements, including constructing a grade separation at Gateway Avenue to create an overpass separating vehicle and train traffic, which is now blocked due to completion of the new Terminal 5 loop rail track. Additionally, funding will be used to significantly improve rail service to United Grain facilities, doubling the size of blocks of rail cars that can be unloaded at once.

These projects will increase port safety and efficiency, providing a critical boost to the regional economy of Southwest Washington. 1,836 construction jobs per year will be created by these projects, and upon completion will help create 400 new jobs in Southwest Washington.