(NEW ORLEANS) — Four new 100-foot-gauge container gantry cranes have arrived at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal at the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA), the culmination of a 15,643-nautical-mile journey from Shanghai, China.
The $112 million investment, which included $49 million for the construction and delivery of the cranes, and $63 million to modernize the wharf and extend the crane rail infrastructure, began in 2019 when Port NOLA’s Board of Commissioners approved the project.
The four new gantry cranes are essential to Port NOLA’s overall plan for the gateway, which includes optimizing facilities in New Orleans and building the Louisiana International Terminal, a new container terminal, in St. Bernard Parish.
“This is an exciting example of Louisiana investing in port infrastructure to support the nation’s supply chain of the future,” said Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards. “It is a great day for the Port of New Orleans and the outstanding men and women who work on the Lower Mississippi River. Containerized cargo has more than doubled over the last decade at the Port of New Orleans, and this investment positions Louisiana to grow a major economic engine and job creator.”
Port NOLA President and CEO Brandy Christian applauded the governor and the Louisiana Legislature for providing critical project funding, including $43 million from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and the state’s capital outlay budget.
“I want to thank Governor Edwards and members of the Legislature for supporting international trade in Louisiana,” Christian said. “This investment makes Port NOLA more competitive in the global trade-based economy and grows family-supporting maritime jobs here at home. The new cranes increase efficiency through the Louisiana gateway and help fuel our economy.”
– Port NOLA
