LONG BEACH, Calif. — Container terminal operator International Transportation Service has announced the start of a $365 million project expansion of its terminal at the Port of Long Beach that will increase capacity up to 50% and accommodate some of the world’s largest container ships.
The South Slip Fill Project, to be completed by 2028, will allow the facility to service up to two ships with capacity up to 18,000 TEU (20-foot equivalent units, the standard measure of container volume). The project will feature a 560-foot extension of the existing wharf, and will fill in a 19-acre in the existing ITS terminal that is no longer needed as a berth for ships.
“This project strengthens America’s supply chain by investing in infrastructure the right way—using local labor and U.S.-made materials,” Kim Holtermand, CEO of ITS Long Beach, said in a press release. “We’re not just preparing for the future — we’re building it here, at home.”
The expansion follows earlier improvements at the ITS facility including the first on-dock rail system at the Port of Long Beach and the addition of five new electric ship-to-shore cranes. Currently, the facility has a capacity of 100 intermodal cars.
Is the latest technology going to be utilized, or is the union going to once again stand in the way?
Even with Trump’s tariffs ITS and nearby ICTF Long Beach need to grow. ICTF Long Beach is America’s port every train from Union Pacific, Harbor Line, and BNSF comes in here. Everyday 2 million vassals come in here and unload their containers directly onto the rail cars with the part daily for every single container terminal inland. With more containers coming in we need to expand the port so there is room so these containers can be shipped out on time.