Long Beach port to solicit rail-project construction bids

The Port of Long Beach's board agreed on Monday to call for construction bids on a planned rail project designed to increase the port's efficiency.

The Board of Harbor Commissioners is scheduled to award a construction contract by December on the $25 million project, which would provide greater efficiency for on-dock rail and on local roadways by shifting more cargo from truck to rail, port officials said in a press release.

The project would add a new 9,000-foot mainline track to accommodate trains serving four terminals in the port's south basin region. Construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2020.

After construction is completed in fall 2021, Piers G and J will be able to simultaneously handle arriving and departing trains. The project also would help minimize conflict with neighboring terminals' on-dock rail operations and improve overall safety in the area, port officials said.

"The Double Track Access from Pier G to J Project is part of our ongoing efforts to improve the Port so that Long Beach remains globally competitive and environmentally sustainable well into the future,” said board President Bonnie Lowenthal.

The project will be partially funded by a $14 million grant from the Trade Corridor Enhancement Program, which helps pay for improvements to freight corridors across California using designated transportation funds from Senate Bill 1 and the National Highway Freight Program. The port will contribute the remaining $11 million for the project.