The development of a major new container terminal on the lower Mississippi River has moved forward after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers granted federal approval for the Louisiana International Terminal.
The greenfield project is being developed through a public-private partnership involving the Port of New Orleans, MSC’s Terminal Investment Ltd. (TiL) and Ports America.
The federal permit follows years of engineering work, environmental reviews and collaboration among the project partners and public authorities.
Beth Branch, President and CEO of the Port of New Orleans, said the approval represents an important step toward construction and the expansion of Louisiana’s role in international maritime trade.
“Today’s permit turns years of engineering, environmental review, and partnership into forward motion,” Branch said.
She emphasized that the project is intended to deliver benefits beyond the immediate region, describing it as nationally significant infrastructure that will expand U.S. export capacity and strengthen Louisiana’s position in the next generation of maritime commerce.
The terminal will be located outside the Crescent City Connection Bridge on the lower Mississippi River.
Designed for larger container ships
Louisiana International Terminal is being planned to handle container vessels exceeding 16,000 TEU, giving the facility the scale required to compete for mainline calls from major international shipping services.
Its development is expected to strengthen the Port of New Orleans’ ability to accommodate larger container ships while providing additional capacity for U.S. import and export flows.
For the project partners, the federal permit marks the transition from years of planning and regulatory work toward the next stage of development.
“We are ready to build,” Branch said.
The project is positioned as a significant addition to the U.S. Gulf Coast’s container infrastructure, with the potential to expand Louisiana’s connections to global shipping networks and provide additional capacity for American trade.
