Port of New Orleans Secures $230.5 Million in Funding for Expansion
The investment aims to enhance the state’s trade capabilities and create thousands of jobs
The Louisiana Legislature has committed $230.5 million to infrastructure projects at the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA), including the new downriver container terminal, the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT), and the St. Bernard Transportation Corridor. These projects aim to connect the $1.8 billion LIT to the interstate system, providing a long-sought road for St. Bernard Parish leaders and residents.
“We want to thank Governor Jeff Landry and the Louisiana Legislature for this significant funding commitment,” said Port NOLA Acting President & CEO Ronald Wendel, Jr. “These critical infrastructure projects will solidify Louisiana’s position as the premier global gateway in the Gulf, ensure thousands of jobs, and promote long-term economic growth for the region and state.”
The LIT received $10 million in direct state general funding and $140 million in Priority 5 state funding to support design and construction activities. Additionally, $50 million remains secured for the construction of the St. Bernard Transportation Corridor, and $30.5 million ($3 million from the direct state general fund) will go towards the rehabilitation, planning, and construction of the St. Claude Bridge.
Julia Fisher-Cormier, Commissioner of the Louisiana Office of Multimodal Commerce, emphasized the importance of these investments: “The Legislature’s backing of infrastructure funding to support the Louisiana International Terminal builds upon commitments of more than $1.1 billion from the federal government and private sector. These are the types of public investments Louisiana must make to transform our trade-based economy and secure our position as a future leader of global trade.”
The LIT, to be built in Violet, Louisiana, 17 miles downriver from the Crescent City Connection bridge, will eliminate air draft restrictions for vessels currently calling on the Port of New Orleans. It aims to serve vessels of all sizes, dramatically increasing Louisiana’s import and export capacity, fostering strategic inland growth, and allowing both container-on-barge and intermodal services to expand. Expected to open in 2028, the terminal will accept up to 280,000 containers annually.
The $1.8 billion project is the largest public economic development project in Louisiana, projected to generate 32,000 new jobs nationwide by 2050, including more than 18,000 in Louisiana and 4,300 in St. Bernard Parish. It is also expected to generate over $1 billion in new state and local tax revenue.
The LIT will be built through a historic public-private partnership between Port NOLA and two private terminal operators: New Jersey-based Ports America, North America’s largest marine terminal operator, and Geneva, Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Company, through its terminal development and investment arm, Terminal Investment Limited (TiL), which have committed $800 million toward the project. Construction is expected to begin in 2025 with the first berth opening in 2028.
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