Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has announced a US$ 371.5 million Commonwealth capital investment in the Port of Philadelphia, which will unlock an additional US$ 466 million in private sector and federal grant funding to support the largest expansion in PhilaPort’s history.
The total combined investment of US$ 837 million is expected to create more than 6,000 new jobs, generate US$ 45 million in state and local taxes, expand container capacity by 122% and increase auto capacity by 18% across the port’s facilities.
The Commonwealth capital allocation comprises US$ 31 million for dredging at Southport Berth I, US$ 145 million for reclamation work at Southport Berth II and the North Wharf, US$ 109.4 million for land acquisition and US$ 58.1 million for crane and equipment acquisition.
The investment will leverage two US Department of Transportation federal grants to construct a new 2,000 linear foot berth at Southport Marine Terminal, the first new berth construction in 50 years, accompanied by the purchase of the 152-acre Mustin Yard parcel to create significant expansion opportunities for both auto and container cargo.
Additional properties in the Southern Port District will also be acquired and developed to enhance container capacity and support future growth. Improvements at the Tioga Marine Terminal will also be made to better handle liquid bulk barges, breakbulk vessels and cargo handling operations.
PhilaPort was named the most productive container port in the United States for three consecutive years and in 2025 supported more than 8,000 jobs and contributed nearly US$ 1.2 billion in economic output across Pennsylvania.
The Commonwealth has invested more than USD 600 million in PhilaPort over the past decade, with recent milestones including the return of cruise operations with Norwegian Cruise Line in April 2026, intersection improvements at Packer Avenue Marine Terminal and the extension of the Pennsylvania Intermodal Cargo Growth Incentive Programme through July 2027.
Governor Shapiro described the investment as a game changer for PhilaPort, building on the port’s historic role as a global trade gateway dating back over 300 years to the founding of the Commonwealth and reinforcing the Administration’s commitment to growing the economy and creating opportunity for Pennsylvanians.
