advertisement

---

The Port of New Orleans' Board of Commissioners recently gave AECOM Technical Services Inc. the green light to begin designing the new Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal.

The project site involves an existing 12-acre rail yard that serves the adjacent Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal. The new rail yard will be reconfigured and modernized into an intermodal container transfer facility.

Construction is slated to begin in December and is expected to take 12 months to complete.

"The Port of New Orleans is the only U.S. seaport with six Class Is serving it, which includes 132,000 miles of connecting rail tracks," said Port of New Orleans President and Chief Executive Officer Gary LaGrange in a prepared statement. "This critical project will facilitate the movement of marine and rail cargo, stimulate international commerce and enhance safety all while reducing the carbon footprint of the regional and national transportation systems."

The port received a $16.7 million federal grant last year to improve the Napoleon Avenue Intermodal Terminal. The port and Louisiana Port Construction and Development Priority Program are matching a portion of the grant to fund the construction of an adjacent 4-acre container marshalling yard at the upriver end of the Louisiana Avenue Terminal.

The board awarded a $3.7 million construction contract to Hard Rock Construction L.L.C. for the new paved yard. Construction began this month and is expected to be completed by December. The overall estimated cost for both projects is $26 million.