The Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal and Yard Improvements project will transform an existing 12-acre rail yard into a modern, freight rail intermodal terminal and create a four-acre cargo marshalling yard immediately adjacent. The overall cost of the project is estimated at $26.1 million, with the remaining $7.6 million coming from the Port of New Orleans and the Louisiana Port Construction and Development Priority Program. The new terminal is expected to create 284 construction jobs and 100 permanent marine and cargo handling jobs.
“This is the kind of nationally significant project that TIGER was designed to support,” said Deputy Secretary John Porcari. “This investment will create good jobs and improve the movement of goods nationwide.”
The project will create hundreds of jobs and will improve the movement of marine and rail cargo at the Port of New Orleans, said Mayor Mitch Landrieu.
“This $16.7 million federal grant is yet another vital investment into our transportation infrastructure provided by the Obama Administration,” said Mayor Mitch Landrieu. “Programs like TIGER that repair our infrastructure and create jobs are necessary if we are to compete globally, especially in a city like New Orleans where the Port is an economic engine.”
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu says that it is an honor to receive the highly competitive grant. “The Port of New Orleans is an irreplaceable economic engine for our state; it plays such a major role in our global economy, and this grant affirms that,” she said. “Over $150 million worth of proposals were submitted for Louisiana alone. I am so pleased that this Louisiana port was selected; we must continually support and improve our state’s infrastructure so that our ports remain competitive forces both nationally and internationally.”
U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond says the grants will allow American businesses to better utilize the transportation nexus that exists in New Orleans. “This funding allows the Port of New Orleans to capitalize on advantages that don’t exist anywhere else in the country,” said Congressman Cedric Richmond. “As the only deepwater port in the United States with six Class One railroads, this new rail terminal will allow the Port to be even more competitive nationally and internationally. I’m happy that this investment will not only create jobs in Louisiana now, but it will provide long-term economic benefits to the nation by reducing road congestion and promoting environmentally sustainable shipping.”
On Dec. 15, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced 46 winning projects would share $511 million from the third round of the TIGER program. The Port’s grant was the ninth largest of the 46 projects and was one of four successful port-related infrastructure projects. In all, DOT received 848 project applications requesting a total of $14.29 billion.
“The Port of New Orleans is the only U.S. seaport with six Class One railroads, which includes 132,000 miles of connecting rail tracks,” said Port President and CEO Gary LaGrange. “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 regional and national transportation systems within our market – which constitutes 62 percent of the consumers of the United States. The entire maritime community is thrilled to see this project come to fruition and I want to thank the entire Louisiana delegation for their unwavering support.”
