A recently-released study reinforces how essential freight infrastructure and landside port improvement projects are to the nation’s prosperity.

The State of Freight II report was issued earlier this month by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and the American Association of Port Authorities

In 2015 AAPA released its initial State of Freight report, it then identified $29 billion in infrastructure projects needed over the next decade to keep pace with freight demand.

This year’s report presents a comprehensive overview of where states are in developing freight plans, said AAPA President Kurt Nagle.

AASHTO President and MaineDOT Commissioner David Bernhardt says State of Freight II “serves as a blueprint for state DOTs, Congress and the new Administration. to address the critical freight infrastructure needs of our nation.”

The survey finds that 71% of states are working to make their freight plans compliant with the most recent highway law. Also, 57% of states targeted more than 6,200 freight projects to include in state freight plans, while 35% identified a combined $259 billion in costs for state freight plan projects.

The report urges Congress to provide more funding resources outside of the Highway Trust Fund to supplement highway formula dollars and fund discretionary grant programs.

The report says the Department of Transportation should continue providing Highway Trust Fund allocations to states for highway freight projects through the National Highway Freight program.

It also urges DOT to coordinate its Build America Bureau and freight advisory committees’ actions with state freight plans in order to better leverage private sector investment.