The state Department of Transportation will get $24.5 million in federal stimulus funds to repair and expand Pier 29, the federal government announced today.

About 80 percent of all commercial goods in Hawaiçi are imported and 98 percent of these goods go through the port.
The Pier 29 container yard at Honolulu Harbor suffered structural failures in 2008 that displaced an international freight carrier. Stimulus funds will be used to reconstruct Pier 29 and add about 12 acres of upgraded cargo yard. The improvements also are aimed at increasing efficiency and safety in Honolulu Harbor.
Overall, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $1.5 billion in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery awards today.