BELLINGHAM, WA – Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded a $17,931,000 million grant to the Port of Bellingham to renovate a shipping terminal site, returning the site to a fully functioning multimodal terminal with more efficient loading and unloading of railcars on the terminal.

DOT awarded the funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Discretionary Grant Program, which enables communities of all sizes to carry out road, rail, transit and other surface transportation projects with significant local or regional impact. 

“You cannot have a big-league economy with little league infrastructure,” said Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), the lead Democrat on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Port of Bellingham has the funding it needs to modernize its shipping terminal, which will create more jobs, reduce carbon emissions, and keep supply chains and the maritime economy moving.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorized $7.5 billion over five years for the existing RAISE Discretionary Program, formerly known as TIGER and BUILD grants – a 50 percent increase in funding. This year, DOT awarded nearly $90 million to eight projects in Washington state – the most RAISE grant funding awarded to any state in this round of funding – including $4.9 million to the Tulalip Tribes.

In March, Larsen sent a letter to DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg in support of the Port of Bellingham’s RAISE grant application.

Larsen Has Secured More Than $82 Million in RAISE Grants for WA-02 Since 2022

Larsen has secured five RAISE grants totaling $82,406,000 for local communities since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was signed. In addition to the $17.9 million grant, Larsen has helped deliver:

• $25 Million for Lynnwood’s Poplar Way Bridge – In August 2022, DOT awarded the City of Lynnwood a $25 million RAISE grant to construct a new six-lane, multimodal bridge over I-5 in Lynnwood, between the intersections of 196th Street SW (State Route 524)/Poplar Way and 33rd Avenue W/Alderwood Mall Boulevard.
• $25 Million for Whatcom County’s Lummi Island Ferry – In August 2022, DOT awarded Whatcom County a $25 million RAISE grant to replace the 60-year-old Lummi Island ferry with an electric-battery hybrid ferry and build related infrastructure.
• $9.5 Million for Blaine’s Bell Road Project – In June 2023, DOT awarded the City of Blaine a $9.5 million RAISE grant to improve safety and accessibility and reduce congestion at the Bell Road (State Route 548)-BNSF at-grade rail crossing. 
• $4.9 Million for the Tulalip Tribes’ Road Safety Project – In June 2024, DOT awarded a $4,975,000 RAISE grant to the Tulalip Tribes to plan, design and construct improvements to the 4th Street and 88th Street NE crossings of Interstate 5.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is Working for Washington

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is creating jobs and building a cleaner, greener, safer and more accessible transportation system in Washington state. So far, $8.9 billion in BIL funding has been announced for Washington state with more than 800 specific projects identified for funding. Click here to learn more about how the BIL is working for Washington.

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