Pete HahnloserThe Port of Los Angeles is continuing efforts to reduce pollution at docks, with Pier 300, operated by Fenix Marine Services, next in line for improvements.
The Los Angeles Harbor Commission has authorized a lease amendment that includes plans for a $52 million infrastructure upgrade aimed at significantly increasing on-dock rail capacity while cutting emissions. Rail is the most fuel-efficient method for long-distance freight transportation in the continental U.S.
The project will add five additional loading and unloading tracks in the intermodal yard at the Pier 300 terminal. This enhancement will boost the on-dock railyard’s capacity, allowing more cargo to be loaded directly onto trains within the terminal.
The project will also involve upgrades such as grading and paving, enhancing fire protection, electrical improvements, striping and signage and incorporating additional storm drain features to meet Low Impact Development standards.
In July, the port announced completion of significant rail expansion at Pier 400, which improved cargo movement and increased roadway safety at the busiest port in the United States. Work on the upgraded intermodal rail storage yard near the container terminal began in 2021.
The project included the addition of 31,000 linear feet of track, five new railroad storage tracks, a concrete rail bridge with lighting, an asphalt access road, new crossovers and turnouts and updates to the compressed air system. Improvements also involved relocating part of the lead track onto Port of Los Angeles property, realigning the track connection to the rail storage yard, and modifying street connections with the rail line.
Also in July, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at the Port of Long Beach for the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, known as “America’s Green Gateway.” The $1.6 billion project will expand the existing rail yard from 82 acres to 171 acres.
Pier B will be constructed in phases, each aimed at improving cargo movement, with completion expected by 2032. The project will more than triple the port’s on-dock rail capacity to 4.7 million 20-foot equivalent units annually, allowing cargo to be moved directly between marine terminals and trains, reducing truck traffic and easing pressure on roadways.
Funding for the Pier 300 improvements includes about $18 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration and $19 million from California’s Trade Corridor Enhancement Program. The remainder will be provided by the Port of Los Angeles.
Construction is set to begin in 2025. A pre-bid informational meeting will be held at 9 a.m.PT Sept. 24 in Wilmington, with questions for an online Q&A session due October 17.
Photo by Barrett Ward on Unsplash
