Rendering of proposed Louisiana International Terminal (image courtesy of Port of New Orleans)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers grants a federal permit for the new Louisiana International Terminal. Port NOLA President and CEO Beth Branch says the current terminal’s location prevents it from being able to accommodate vessels with large container loads.
“Where we operate today is on the other side, up river, from the Crescent City Connection Bridge. That bridge has a height restriction when we have large container vessels coming in to port,” Branch explained.
Branch says the new terminal will be built 18 miles downriver, eliminating the need for any vessels to clear the bridge. That will allow it to accommodate much larger ships.
“Today, the size of a container ship that comes up river to our current location, they carry 7,000 containers on board. The new container terminal will be able to handle up to 24,000 containers,” Branch noted.
Branch says the new terminal will be a major game-changer for the Port of New Orleans and will transform the city and the region into a major logistics hub.
“New Orleans is so strategically located; being not just on the Mississippi River and all the connectivity that brings, but most importantly, there’s no other deepwater port in the entire country that’s served by all six national railroads,” Branch said.
Construction is expected to take five years.
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