LONG BEACH, Calif. — A major expansion of rail facilities at the Port of Long Beach has received long-awaited approval from the U.S. Maritime Administration, the port announced Monday.
The Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility will reduce truck traffic by allowing direct transfer of containers between trains and marine terminals. The issuance of a final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision by the Maritime Administration means construction on the $1.5 billion project is expected to begin next year. The first portions are projected to be in operation in 2025, but full completion is not expected until 2032.
“Simply put, the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility will move cargo faster and with fewer environmental impacts,” Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero said in a press release. “We thank MARAD for its work completing the EIS, which allows us to receive federal funding for a facility that will benefit the whole country.”
Port officials said last year the wait for the Maritime Authority’s approval of the report had put the project at least a year behind schedule [see “Wait for federal approval delays Long Beach rail project,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 8, 2021].
The full environmental report is available at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.
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