According to Thomas Barrett, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation, the federal government has plans of establishing a new and improved network of Marine highways. Barrett says this new initiative will improve cargo transportation by eliminating some of the congestion on the country’s busiest highways. The routes are said to be eligible for up to $25 million thanks to the Federal Capital Construction fund, with the associated communities eligible for up to $1.7 billion in other available funds.

Barrett announced that the Marine Highways initiative will enable companies to make better use of the new routes by helping them find shippers willing to transport goods by water. With no stop signs, traffic lights and potholes in the way, this new solution is both simple and effective.

Barrett made the announcement during a visit to the James River Barge Line in Norfolk, Virginia. The new initiative calls for cargo to be transported up the James River and into Richmond. This alone would move over 4,000 trucks off the busy Interstate 64 with cargo shifting to the waterway.