Obama visits Wilmington Port to talk infrastructure needs

Terminal Avenue, a major stretch of roadway for large trucks en route to the Port, looked more like a parade route on Thursday, as dozens of Wilmington residents gathered outside, awaiting Barack Obama‘s presidential motorcade to roll through.
The president visited the Port of Wilmington on Thursday to address the renovation of the damaged I-495 Bridge in Wilmington, one of the state’s most traveled roadways. Obama also spoke largely about the economy, job creation and launching the Build America Investment Initiative — a one-stop shop for cities and states looking to partner with private investors to fund infrastructure projects, he said.
Obama seemed to suggest a desire for a new way to make massive infrastructure investments, despite a gridlocked U.S. Congress, as the Inquirer highlighted.
“Once workers are done repairing it, this bridge will be safer, it will be more reliable for commuters and for commerce. And thanks to a competitive grant program called TIGER — a program, by the way, that was part of the Recovery Act that we initiated when I first came into office and Joe Biden helped to manage — this port is rebuilding a wharf that will finally let Wilmington compete with other ports for the biggest cargo ships,” Obama said.
Noting the port’s importance to the region was just what John Beckman of Wilmington hoped to hear.
Beckman — who works with OEX Trucking to pull bananas out of the Dole facility at the port and redistribute them to drivers who can transport them out of state — waited outside the Quick Cuisine on Terminal Avenue with dozens of other locals hoping to catch a glimpse of the president.
“It’d be nice to know if he was looking over the port to keep operations flowing and jobs for everyone,” Beckman said. “It’s neat he’s coming down here, and whether it’s for the bridge or the port, it’s nice to know that perhaps the higher-ups are paying attention to us.”
Gov. Jack Markell thanked the president for visiting Delaware with a renewed focus on fixing infrastructure, and more importantly, the I-495 bridge.
“It’s always a privilege to welcome the President back to the first state. And as we look out at the work happening on the I-495 Bridge over the Christina River, I especially want to thank his administration for acting quickly and decisively to help us move those emergency repairs forward,” Markell said.
Markell also thanked Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx for aiding the state with the emergency funding needed to fix the bridge, and state Transportation Secretary Shailen Bhatt for making sure plans to fix the bridge moved quickly.
“Of course we wouldn’t be here today if the only challenge facing our transportation system was an unusual incident involving one bridge,” Markell said. “The condition of infrastructure statewide and nationwide is unacceptable and can’t continue to support the world’s strongest economy.”
During his speech, Obama focused on the importance of Delaware’s roadways and also touted his new plan, which he said, should help connect governments to private investors.
“And lots of states and local governments would welcome more private investment, but they need a partner in the federal government to help do some matchmaking and work through some of the complexities of private financing of infrastructure,” Obama said. “So my administration is going to help states and cities apply for federal loans, get more public-private partnerships up and running, get more investment flowing into communities like Wilmington.”
Ed Isabell, a Wilmington resident who works with the police department’s therapeutic unit, said he too was pleased that the president made a stop in his hometown. He said he was hoping the president would address not only the bridge, but the crime rate, murders and shootings in the city.
“We’re a small city, so 20 murders is a lot,” he said.
While he didn’t discuss crime specifically, the president did mention Wilmington several times throughout his remarks. Obama focused on job creation, manufacturing and trying to boost the economy.
“Wherever and whenever I have a chance to help families like yours I’m going to do it,” Obama said. “When I have a chance to help communities like Wilmington, I’m going to do it.”