WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Port of Long Beach has been awarded more than $283 million to complete the final phase of the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility by expanding the north and south Rail Yards.
The grant — awarded through the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — “will significantly increase overall rail network capacity at the port, prevent supply chain backlogs, improve air quality and bolster California and national economic growth,” according to a news release from U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).
But for the trucking industry, the project will mean 5 million less truck trips — and 100 million fewer truck vehicle miles — per year.
The Pier B Project will double the existing rail yard and support the movement of three times as much on-dock rail cargo while creating an estimated 13,000 jobs nationally, including 1,135 jobs in local disadvantaged communities, according to the news release. “This expansion is vital for providing the scale of investment needed to meet California and the Biden Administration’s ambitious climate goals.”
Padilla said that reliable and efficient transportation of goods is crucial for keeping the nation’s economy thriving while protecting the air.
“The Port of Long Beach is a leading international hub for transporting major cargo, and this project will slash truck emissions while supporting economic growth and efficiency,” he said. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are strengthening our supply chain while creating jobs and improving air quality in near-port communities across the region.”
Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Officer Mario Cordero called the funding’s impact “is staggering.”
“This is a facility that will help move cargo more efficiently to homes and businesses across America, and from U.S. producers to overseas markets, resulting in system-wide benefits to the supply chain,” he added. “We’d like to thank the U.S. Department of Transportation and Sen. Alex Padilla for recognizing the significance of this project and making a significant investment in sustainable, efficient cargo movement.”
California’s San Pedro ports move 40% of the nation’s containerized imports, and the Port of Long Beach moves more than $200 billion in cargo annually, connecting with 30 major rail hubs across 85 congressional districts.
Specifically, the North Rail Yard Expansion includes the construction of two new mainline tracks, five new 10,000-foot receiving and departure tracks and 26 new storage tracks. The South Rail Yard Expansion will add seven new 3,000-foot storage tracks, lengthen and rehabilitate seven existing 3,000-foot storage tracks, construct two new tracks in the Pico Avenue Rail Corridor, reconfigure tracks near Pier D Street and construct a new compressed air facility.
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
