The Port of Los Angeles recently received a $20 infrastructure grant to build a four-lane road intended to alleviate truck congestion.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and other officials aboard the USS Iowa to announce the funding, which is part of the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program.
“This is what good infrastructure investments look like,” Sec. Buttigieg reportedly said. “It’s not about the numbers on the page and the dollars in the spreadsheet. It’s about putting them to work to solve problems, and that’s what’s going on right here.”
The Port of Los Angeles made national headlines in 2021 when more than 100 cargo vessels were stuck idling off the coast. Along with the Port of Long Beach, containers dwell times increased and docks were littered with imports. Officials backed fines on retailers and logistics operations that didn’t transport containers in a timely fashion. Temporary storage yards, extended truck hours, and ships rerouting to Gulf and Atlantic coast ports helped reduce the logjams. Like other ports and supply chain systems around the country, the Port of Los Angeles needs improved efficiency as import volumes continue to rise.
“This grant will mean less traffic and less pollution. It will mean more jobs. It will mean quicker throughput and fewer accidents. Who could be against that? This port moves jobs in America,” Mayor Garcetti reportedly said. “But for too long, we’ve been the forgotten stepchildren — in Long Beach and LA — of Washington D.C. We’re 3,000 miles away.”
Last year, support infrastructure was updated to house chassis for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. But a single means of ingress and egress impeded freight movement. Truckers were reportedly required to haul containers and loads at a speed of no higher than 5 mph due to a low tunnel roof, according to remarks made by Sec. Buttigieg.
“As the Western Hemisphere’s busiest trade gateway, this grant will help us further accelerate our plans to build resiliency, increase efficiencies and sustainability, as well as create jobs,” Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka reportedly said.
The construction of a four-lane, rail-roadway grade pathway is expected to provide direct truck access to an 80-acre facility located on Terminal Island. This hub remains a central logistical asset able to serve facilities across the San Pedro Bay network. Once completed, trucks would enjoy a direct connector to highways.
Truck delay reductions of 2,500 hours daily are predicted, and the project generates 300 short-term jobs. Adding a four-lane road will likely improve efficiency and reduce truck idling, which results in unnecessary emissions. The project is expected to take 15 to 18 months to complete.
Sources: hoistmagazine.com, seatrade-maritime.com, newsoflosangeles.com, spectrumnewsq.com
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