NEW ORLEANS — On Feb. 27, the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Board of Commissioners awarded a $2,209,635 contract to Cycle Construction Company LLC for construction of the NOPB Transshipment Industrial Park in New Orleans East.
“The Port of New Orleans and the NOPB continue to provide multimodal infrastructure improvements to move freight more efficiently through our global gateway,” said Brandy D. Christian, president and CEO of Port NOLA and CEO of NOPB, in a press release. “These improvements not only give rail customers and partners a competitive advantage, but will also help grow the economy and bring jobs to the region. We are grateful to the Louisiana DOTD for their generous support in giving us the opportunity to improve our railway infrastructure”.
The total cost of the project is $3 million and will be funded by a $1.5 million grant from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s (DOTD) Short Line Rail Priority Program, as well as a portion of $1.5 million funding from NOPB.
“The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development was pleased to select the New Orleans Public Belt Rail Project as one of the first projects for the new Shortline Rail Improvement Program,” said Dean Goodell, Rail Director of freight and passengers from the LADOTD Office of Multimodal Commerce. “We look forward to providing additional funding in the future to NOPB through this critical program.”
The property, which is owned by the Port of New Orleans, is located on Terminal Road. Once completed, the transshipment yard will have the capacity to service up to 21 wagons. Planned improvements including three additional rail tracks, rail switching capabilities, drainage and road improvements.
“NOPB’s transshipment industrial park will allow new and existing operators to enter or expand into the New Orleans market,” said NOPB CEO Tomeka Watson Bryant. “This is another example of the NOPB growing its network and continuing to provide safe, efficient and environmentally sustainable rail service.”
Construction of the NOPB transshipment industrial park is expected to begin in April 2024 and is expected to be completed by summer.
Port NOLA is a deep-water port that is connected to all six Class I railroads in the country. NOPB is a Class III railroad that serves the Port of New Orleans and industries, and connects directly with six Class I railroads. These railroads comprise a track network of more than 132,000 miles that connects Port NOLA to all markets in USA and Canada.
NOPB’s main sorting yard, the Cotton Warehouse Yard, is located in Uptown New Orleans, near the port’s corporate headquarters. Two additional yards, Claiborne and France, serve downtown customers. The NOPB system also includes four storage yards: Pauline, Race Street, East Bridge and South.
