The Biden administration unveiled its plan to alleviate the supply chain issues the nation has been facing over the past several months brought on by the pandemic.

The move comes after the House passed the president’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill as part of this two-pronged economic agenda. The bill is expected to be signed into law within the coming days.

The White House said the new action “will increase federal flexibilities for port grants; accelerate port infrastructure grant awards; announce new construction projects for coastal navigation, inland waterways, and land ports of entry; and launch the first round of expanded port infrastructure grants funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal."

Senior administration officials say work will begin within the next 60 days with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on $4 billion worth of construction at coastal ports, inland waterways, and other corps eligible facilities. The plan will also spend $3.4 billion to upgrade inspection facilities to improve trading through the northern and southern border, according to administration officials.

The bill is the single largest investment in American history as it will allocate $17 billion in improvements for coastal and inland ports, waterways, and ports of entry along the border. Another $110 billion will be allocated to roads, transportation, and bridges.

Biden discussed how the pandemic was responsible for the bottlenecks that have led to the shipping delays in furniture, electronics, and cars. “Ending the pandemic is the ultimate key to unlocking the disruptions we’re all contending with. But, we have to take action now, together with our partners in the private sector, to reduce the backlogs that we’re facing,” Biden said.

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