TAMPA, Fla. — With construction underway on Interstate 75 at the Fruitville Road Interchange, Gov. Ron DeSantis said $18 million of state grants will ensure construction materials will be able to get to that project and others across Florida.
"You wanna see projects get done, you wanna see things move? You gotta have the materials to be able to do it," DeSantis said Friday.
A $6.2 million "supply chain" grant was awarded to Port Tampa Bay to help them expand their aggregate imports. This includes the construction of the Berth 218 aggregate terminal and an additional 500,000 tons of lime rock annually.
"This $6.2 million grant award will be used directly, is already starting to be used, for the construction to expand the aggregate imports into Port Tampa Bay," Paul Anderson, CEO of Port Tampa Bay said. "That sector of cargo — we're the largest cargo port in the state of Florida — is our oldest and largest. It has been the foundation for Port Tampa Bay for over 100 years."
CSX was awarded a grant amounting to $3.9 million to design and construct a new aggregate terminal in Plant City. This will accommodate 20 acres of storage capacity and 250,000 additional tons of aggregate annually, the governor's office said.
Three other entities, JAXPORT, Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad and Capital Asphalt also received part of the $18 million distribution.
"A strong supply chain is key to Florida's economic strength. We can't rely on Washington — we need Florida-based solutions,” DeSantis said. “These grants will help our state boost capacity and ensure vital materials reach projects on time.”
The $18 million is the first part of $109.6 million in funding to be distributed over the next five years to various initiatives and projects, DeSantis said.
“Many Floridians don’t spend a lot of time thinking about construction materials until a disruption in our ability to supply those materials impacts their community,” FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue said. “With the support and action of Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature, the transportation construction industry will be able to access these much-needed materials for our infrastructure projects that will help keep construction moving and on time.”