North American ports invest for the future

Huge investment projects are under way at several of North America’s container ports as they deepen their access channels and expand their terminals to provide additional capacity. At the same time, port authorities and their partners are under pressure to adopt less-polluting and preferably net-zero emissions equipment. Long permitting and development timelines make it important for US ports to invest in new capacity and stay ahead of demand. The major gateways on the West, East, and Gulf coasts all have expansion plans on the drawing board.

Some of the most significant investments are taking place at ports on the US West Coast, with Long Beach planning capital expenditures worth US$3.3 billion over the coming decade.

A key element is the development of the Pier B on-dock rail support facility, which will triple the port’s intermodal rail capacity and cut rail dwell times from four days to 24 hours. Work on the project started in 2024 and is scheduled for completion in late 2032.

In other developments, the port is planning to rehabilitate Pier T, which is operated by Total Terminals International, a company in which Terminal Investment Ltd (TiL) has a majority shareholding. The facility will be expanded from 382 acres to 500 acres, the quay line extended so that more very large containerships can be handled simultaneously, the on-dock rail yard revamped to both optimise and maximise its handling capacity, and new automated and zero-emissions equipment purchased.

This story was originally published by World Cargo News. Read the full story at World Cargo News →