Port NOLA Approves Program Management Contract For Container Terminal Project
At their August 26, regular monthly meeting, the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans unanimously approved a contract for Program Management and Program Control Services to HDR Engineering Inc., a global engineering and consulting firm, as part of the multi-year due diligence and permitting process for the new Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) container facility in St. Bernard Parish.
Progress on the container terminal project to date includes land acquisition in December 2020, initiation of the permitting process in June, an award to AECOM for preliminary design and permitting support in July and ongoing engagement with industry and community stakeholders. Next steps will include consideration and evaluation of a potential terminal operator and financial partners.
“We are working to deliver a state of the art container terminal that meets the evolving needs of the shipping industry and serves as an economic catalyst for the state and region,” said Brandy Christian, president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans. “A project of this magnitude requires experienced program management for successful coordination of studies and design needed for a quality project. HDR Engineering’s qualifications include broad expertise, a team that has worked together on similar large container port projects and the deep resources of a global firm with local connections.”
HDR will serve as the technical lead for services that include, in part: terminal operation and related transportation development, risk management, procurement support, budget and schedule management, permitting and stakeholder coordination and environmental compliance.
With more than 220 offices around the world, including Baton Rouge, Metairie and Lafayette in Louisiana, the firm brings appropriate resources to the project. HDR team members have worked together on large port and other infrastructure projects in the past, including, most recently, the Hugh Leatherman container terminal in Charleston, S.C. Sub-consultants for the contract include Evans-Graves Engineers Inc, based in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, as well as The Advocacy Partners LLC, based in New Orleans.
The up-to-$4 million program management contract has a term of up to three years.
The project would occupy approximately 350 acres with a 3,500-linear-foot wharf within more than 1,000 acres of developable green-field property. The site, located within the federal government’s $14 billion flood protection system, features naturally deep-draft riverfront acreage, a 50-foot Mississippi River channel, ability to navigate ships with a capacity up to 23,000 TEUs, ability to grow Port NOLA’s container-on-barge service, access to six Class I railroads through New Orleans Public Belt Railroad and access to the interstate highway system. Transportation infrastructure projects that accommodate industry and St. Bernard Parish needs beyond the terminal footprint would be coordinated for maximum positive impact, including the vision of a dedicated truck route.
Caption for image: Conceptual rendering of new Louisiana Intermodal Terminal. (courtesy of Port of New Orleans)
