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Port of Los Angeles receives $20 million grant to boost freight movement

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The Port of Los Angeles has received a $20 million federal grant for a critical road-railway grade separation project for faster cargo movement and reduce delays.

US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made the announcement on 7 September.

The award comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant programme.

RAISE grants focus on planning and capital investments that support roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, and intermodal transportation.

“We’re proud to be here marking such important progress being made, but also recognising that there is so much more to do to fix the supply chains that were torn up by the pandemic and to make them more resilient for years to come – and right here we have a great example of that,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

“We are delighted to formally celebrate the award of $20 million to the Port of Los Angeles to reduce trucking delays and allow freight trains to move goods more rapidly, reducing shipping costs as part of the fight against inflation.”

READ: $3 Million to the Port of LA Gateway Project for congestion-busting tech

The new roadway configuration is expected to facilitate faster cargo movement and streamline truck access to a container and chassis-access facility on the Port’s Terminal Island, reducing traffic delays, truck dwell times and greenhouse gas emissions from idling vehicles. 

“LA’s port isn’t just the backbone of our region’s prosperity — it’s one of America’s most powerful economic drivers, and a crossroads that helps connect our country to the rest of the world,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

“When complete, this roadway made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Secretary Buttigieg’s leadership will help our port move cargo more efficiently and meet our most critical sustainability goals.”

READ: Los Angeles Harbor Commission gives $1.9 billion port budget the go-ahead

“This is a milestone moment in the investment in our nation’s ports and I applaud Secretary Buttigieg for bringing this critical funding to where it’s needed most,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.

The project will entail construction of a four-lane, rail-roadway grade separation, which will allow unimpeded truck access to an 80-acre marine support facility (MSF) on Terminal Island.

According to USDOT, the new rail-roadway will connect trucks directly to the highway system in two directions, resulting in a reduction of 2,500 truck-hour delays daily; a decrease of more than 3,000 metric tons of emissions per year; and a reduction of 1,200 truck miles travelled per day, which will also decrease accident potential in the area.

The Port of Los Angeles moved an estimated 935,345 TEU in July, outpacing the previous record set in 2019 by 2.5 per cent.

The port has set monthly records in five of seven months in 2022.

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