$1.5 billion announced for 15 port infrastructure projects

California Construction News staff writer

More than $1.5 billion – including $450 million for zero-emission infrastructure, locomotives, vessels and vehicles – will fund 15 projects to increase capacity to move goods throughout the state’s global trade gateways and reduce environmental impacts on neighboring communities. Also, the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) awarded an additional $350 million to 13 projects that eliminate street-level rail crossings.

“CalSTA’s ‘core four’ priorities are safety, climate action, equity and economic prosperity, and the strategic investments announced today shine in all those areas,” said Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin. “These awards will help maintain our state’s competitive edge in our nation-leading supply chain infrastructure and will create a cleaner, safer and more efficient goods movement system that will have a lasting positive impact.”

Projects will help boost capacity to move goods through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach – the busiest ports in the Western Hemisphere – as well as enhance all major trade centers throughout the state – from San Diego to the Central Valley to the Bay Area. The high-priority grade separation projects, the majority of which are funded through the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, will improve safety and reduce conflicts and delays at railroad crossings, helping enhance the state’s freight and passenger rail systems.

A complete list of projects is available at the following links:

• Port and Freight Infrastructure Program, including freight-focused high-priority grade separations.
• Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program high-priority grade separations.

The funding – particularly the investments in zero-emission projects, which account for nearly 40 percent of the Port and Freight Infrastructure Program awards – builds on a partnership between the governments of California and Japan and follow the California Transportation Commission’s recent approval of $1.1 billion for infrastructure improvements on high-volume freight corridors as part of the Trade Corridor Enhancement Program (TCEP) – for a total state investment in supply chain infrastructure of more than $2.6 billion in just the past week.

“This game-changing grant will make a tremendous difference in our efforts to bring more business and jobs to the harbor, enhance the efficiency of cargo movement and accelerate the Port of Long Beach’s ongoing transformation to zero-emission operations,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero.