Former Long Beach Mayor and current Congressman Robert Garcia announced Tuesday a $225 million investment into the Port of Long Beach from the U.S. House of Representatives’ Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
The investment, which will be split between the federal government and the Port’s channel-deepening project, comes with approval under the Water Resources Development Act. The money will go towards expanding the Port’s main channel, strengthening its supply chain and reducing pollution from ships waiting to dock outside the harbor.
“This is a huge win for Long Beach, for our workers, and for people across the country who depend on goods moving through our port every single day,” Garcia said in a public statement. “I’ve been fighting for this project since my days as Mayor of Long Beach, and today we took a major step toward getting it done.”
The investment is meant to help the Port lower costs, prevent cargo delays and reduce pollution from ships idling outside the harbor. Garcia also helped to secure $283 million for the Port in December 2023 for its Pier B On-Dock Rail support Facility Program, which connected the Port with inland rail yards and reduced truck traffic.
“Ports and the supply chain are vital to our economy, enabling commerce and energizing business activity across the nation. Federal investment in maritime infrastructure is crucial to bolstering the economic output created by trade, and reauthorizing the Water Resources Development Act is an important step to ensuring we are optimizing America’s trade opportunities,” said Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Officer Dr. Noel Hacegaba in a public statement.
