USACE grants federal permit for Louisiana International Terminal

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has granted the federal permit authorizing construction of the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT), clearing the way for the nation’s only new greenfield container port currently under development.

Strategically located on the Lower Mississippi River with direct access to the Gulf of America, LIT will connect more than 30 states to global markets through direct access to every major Class I railroad and the interstate highway system.

Backed by a public-private partnership among Port NOLA, Terminal Investment Limited (TiL), the port terminal operating arm of MSC, and Ports America the project has advanced through federal review with strong support from Louisiana’s bipartisan congressional delegation, the State of Louisiana, and regional economic development leaders.

Modern container ships have outgrown much of America’s existing port infrastructure – vessels now regularly exceed 16,000 containers, far beyond what can pass under the fixed clearance of the Crescent City Connection Bridge.

LIT will be built to handle these vessels, positioning the Gulf to compete directly for global shipping traffic that might otherwise move through competing gateways, Port NOLA concluded.