U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Congressman Ed Case (D-HI) were some of the luminaries gathered to observe a groundbreaking ceremony for the Kapalama Container terminal in Honolulu late last month. However, they were not the only superstars present: the Hawaii Ports Maritime Council had a sizable delegation at the event.
The groundbreaking heralded the final phase of the terminal’s construction, which has been in the works over the past three decades. This final round of construction was made possible due to $44 million in funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Secretary Buttigieg pointed out in his remarks.
With over 80% of Hawaii’s goods arriving into the Port of Honolulu, the new terminal promises to ease some of the port’s logistical challenges. New zero-emission cranes, as well as a new bridge connecting the terminal to the harbor, will expedite transportation of cargo to and from the facility.
“That harbor is vital,” said Secretary Buttigieg. “I’m glad I got to look at it to get a better understanding of where our federal dollars are going and our partnership for the future, including making it more resilient in the face of climate change.”
Sen. Schatz added that, “the historic federal investments we’ve made, coupled with the hard work and continued collaboration of county, state, and federal governments, [are] helping make infrastructure across Hawaii safer and more accessible for everyone. There’s still more work to do, but there’s no denying all the progress we’ve made so far to move our infrastructure into the future.”
“This harbor is a lifeblood for all of us,” said Sen. Hirono. “It’s critical we have a modernized harbor.”
The Maritime Trades Department thanks the administration and Labor’s allies in Congress and the Hawaiian state government who were responsible for these necessary investments, as well as the Hawaii Ports Maritime Council for representing the MTD and their local membership at the event.