Port of Long Beach Selects HDR for $870MM Rail Project

Written by Andrew Corselli
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The Port of Long Beach, the largest U.S. intermodal import gateway, has selected HDR to perform the final design as it moves ahead with its $870 million Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility Project to streamline rail operations and reduce bottlenecks.

The Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility Project aims to “expand the port’s capability for loading shipping containers directly on rail cars instead of being loaded on trucks for short-haul trips. The expansion and reconfiguration of the existing Pier B rail yard will create a staging area for loading freight trains nearly 2 miles long, eliminating thousands of local truck trips.”

The City of Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners last month approved the selection of HDR to lead design for the project, as well as site investigations, traffic studies, structural analyses, lighting analyses, program sequencing and more. The selection marks a major milestone for a project that has been in the works for years.

HDR said it will work with sub-consultant Moffatt & Nichol on the Pier B project, scheduled to be completed in three phases, with the first phase expected to be complete by 2024.

“This is a game-changer for the port,” said HDR’s Tom Kim, SVP and Transportation Manager for Southern California. “We have been working with the port a long time on preparation for this critical project, and we’re excited to see it all come together.”

“This is visionary. This port is taking the lead in rail,” Port Executive Director Mario Cordero said in his State of the Port address in January. “The delivery of containers to and from ships by train is the most sustainable and efficient way to move cargo in and out of the port. Each train eliminates as many as 750 truck trips, speeding the flow of goods and cutting traffic on roadways. Train is a big part of our green future.”

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