The Port of West Sacramento announced that the US Department of Transportation (DOT) is awarding US$30 million to a partnership including the ports in West Sacramento, Oakland and Stockton to launch an inland marine highway service, reported Agriculture Week.

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's $1.5 billion Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) programme, the funds will be used to initiate a container barge service between the three ports as an alternative to existing truck and rail infrastructure. The ports expect the service to be used primarily for consumer goods and agricultural products grown in Central California and Northern California.