A $870 million rail project at Long Beach’s port complex has fallen behind schedule, as port authorities wait for U.S. Maritime Administration to approve an Environmental Impact Statement.
The planned Pier B On-Dock Support Facility would reconfigure 171 acres of land southwest of Anaheim Street and the 710 Freeway to improve cargo movement, the Long Beach Post reports.
The port needs federal approval because it is receiving about $16 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation. Erickson has told the Long Beach Post that the project is eligible for future money from the federal government intended to pay for construction.
“We’ve lost, by my estimation, at least a year on what the original plan was, and that has cost us money,” he told the newspaper by email. “When we talked to MARAD, we made that apparent to them,” Erickson said. The port has asked if the federal agency could expedite their review.”
MARAD did not respond to Long Beach Post emails and calls requesting for comment.
Originally, developers had expected that the first arrival, departure and storage tracks were expected to be constructed by 2024, with final project completion estimated for 2032.
