$1.6 billion America’s Green Gateway project to kick off construction this summer in Long Beach

California Construction News staff writer

Port of Long Beach is planning to break ground this summer on the first segment of the $1.6 billion Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility. The project, also called “America’s Green Gateway” will expand the existing Pier B rail yard.

The new site will more than double the size of the existing Pier B rail yard to 171 acres and triple the volume of on-dock rail cargo the port.

The yard will also have a depot for fueling and servicing up to 30 locomotives at the same time and a full-service staging area to assemble and break down trains up to 10,000 feet long.

The project will receive $283 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Mega Grant Program. The $1.567 billion project is the centerpiece of the Port’s on-dock rail construction improvements.

“The impact this funding will have on developing this project of national importance is staggering,” said Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Officer Mario Cordero. “This is a facility that will help move cargo more efficiently to homes and businesses across America, and from U.S. producers to overseas markets, resulting in systemwide benefits to the supply chain.”

Due to the importance of the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility to the national supply chain, the Port continues to seek funding partners for the project. The California State Transportation Agency – CalSTA – in July 2023 announced a grant of $158 million from the Port and Freight Infrastructure Program to help fund the Pier B project as an important part of the state’s cargo movement strategy.

The federal government previously awarded almost $105 million to the project. To date, the Port has secured more than $640 million in grant funding for Pier B.

“Moving more cargo with less environmental impact is the focal point of our approach to business,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bobby Olvera Jr. “The Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, ‘America’s Green Gateway,’ will do this while easing traffic on regional roads and improving air quality.”