Port of Long Beach completes 'Green Port Gateway' rail project
Officials on Wednesday celebrated completion of a $93 million rail project vital for improving the efficiency and sustainability of cargo movement as shipment volumes increase at the Port of Long Beach.
The “Green Port Gateway” project — funded in part with state and federal transportation dollars — was greenlighted for construction at the end of 2012 and was completed this year. The project realigned a critical rail pathway to relieve a bottleneck, allowing Port terminals to increase their use of on-dock rail, decreasing truck traffic and air pollution. The upgrades will serve the Port’s southeast terminals, including the new Middle Harbor terminal.
Overall, almost 6 miles of new track was laid. The work included adding a third rail line under Ocean Boulevard, along with new retaining walls, utility line modifications and roadway improvements. Every on-dock rail train eliminates as many as 750 truck trips from regional roadways.
The California State Transportation Agency, California Transportation Commission and CalTrans helped with $23.1 million from the state’s Proposition 1B Trade Corridor Improvement Fund. The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Maritime Administration assisted with $17 million from the TIGER III program (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery).
The Port plans $1 billion in rail projects over the next decade as part of a broader modernization program to strengthen the Port’s competitiveness and reduce port-related impacts to the environment. Compared to trucks, trains emit one-third less greenhouse gases on a ton-mile basis.
