International Transportation Service broke ground – or perhaps water or sand – on a project this month that’s expected to substantially increase its ability to service larger cargo vessels at the Port of Long Beach.
The terminal operator announced the $365 million project on Friday. By filling in an approximately 40-foot-deep slip that nearly bisects ITS’ terminal, the company said it is adding about 19 acres to its storage capacity and about 560 feet of wharf.
“We’re adding 19 acres to America, really,” quipped Kim Holtermand, chief executive of ITS, in an interview. “It’s a very good project for the Port of Long Beach and for the future.”
Material used to complete the project will be sourced locally and in conjunction with other port dredging projects – reusing material being removed from the waterways. It is additionally being helmed by two Southern California companies and employing local subcontractors over the next three years.
“ITS is committed to supporting local unions, contractors and engineers, ensuring this investment stays in the community,” Holtermand said. “This project positions ITS and the Port of Long Beach to meet global shipping demands while keeping the economic and environmental benefits right here in the U.S.”
Changing the landscape
Since establishing itself on the terminal in 1971, Long Beach-based ITS has had to contend with the horseshoe-shaped geography of the land. The bisected nature of the main wharf, where the cargo container vessels are moored, has increasingly limited the size of ships ITS is able to service.
Once filled in, the new wharf is expected to be able to handle two 18,000-container vessels at once – the next generation of “ultra-large ships,” the company said.
Total dock length will be about 3,500 feet after project completion, and the additional 19 acres of added land will bring ITS’ footprint to about 277 acres. The increased capacity of ships and containers will allow ITS to handle 1.5 million container moves in a year – about a 50% increase. Land material will largely be sourced from future dredging projects being planned at the Port of Long Beach, allowing for an efficient reuse of the excised material. Rocks sourced from a Catalina Island quarry will form the bed of the fill-in.
“The harbor needs maintenance dredging, and the majority of the material will come from there,” Holtermand said. “You can’t just do it with sand.”
Once the land is filled in, it will have to be compacted before the dock structure is constructed over it. Work is not expected to interfere with daily cargo-handling operations, Holtermand said. The project is slated to be completed by 2028.
The project will be handled by a joint venture of Brea-based Griffith Co., which also has locations in Santa Fe Springs and Inglewood, and also San Rafael-based The Dutra Group.
“ITS has been a powerful force for environmental stewardship in our green port by modernizing terminal operations and moving more cargo containers by rail,” said Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners President Bonnie Lowenthal in a statement. “They’ve been great partners in our mission to lead green, and we look forward to more great things to come.”
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