PortSL Cuts Ribbon On Dock Access Bridge

The Port of South Louisiana marked the completion of a new dock access bridge at its Globalplex Intermodal Terminal, calling the project a reliability and capacity upgrade designed to keep cargo moving even when one access route is out of service.

Port officials said the Globalplex Dock Access Bridge provides a second connection between the terminal’s main facility and its primary dock on the Mississippi River — an improvement aimed at reducing operational risk and improving day-to-day efficiency at the site.

“This project represents a long-term investment in reliability, resilience and regional economic growth,” said Port of South Louisiana Executive Director Julia Fisher-Cormier. She said the bridge strengthens the port’s ability to serve existing and future customers while improving safety and efficiency for cargo movement.

The project was fully funded through the Federal Maritime Administration along with the State of Louisiana’s Capital Outlay program, according to the port.

Port officials noted that, prior to the new construction, Globalplex relied on a single dock access bridge. If that bridge became unavailable, the dock could not be used and scheduled vessel calls would have to be diverted to other ports. The second bridge is intended to eliminate that vulnerability by maintaining continuous dock access even if one bridge is out of service.

In addition to redundancy, the new bridge is expected to improve traffic flow on the facility by enabling trucks to operate in a circular pattern. Port officials said the change should reduce congestion and speed loading and unloading operations.

The bridge was also designed with heavy cargo in mind. The structure is rated to support 1,000 pounds per square foot, allowing fully loaded trailer trucks and heavy or oversized equipment to move safely and efficiently throughout the facility, the port said. Metairie-La.-based RNGD was the contractor for the project.

RNGD’s Stephen Abadie credited close coordination between contractor crews and the port during construction.

“Building the Globalplex Access Bridge was a true team effort — one that required exceptional collaboration between our crews and the Port of South Louisiana every step of the way,” Abadie said, adding that the company is proud of the project’s long-term impact on commerce along the Mississippi River.

Gary Poirrier, chairman of Associated Terminals, operator of Globalplex Intermodal Terminal, said, “The completion of this second access bridge is a strong example of what can happen when the public and private sectors work together with a long-term vision. This bridge improves reliability. It enhances access. It increases our capacity. And it positions Globalplex and the entire port district for future growth.”

Globalplex Intermodal Terminal is a 335-acre multimodal industrial and logistics complex and general cargo dock at the Port of South Louisiana in Reserve. Associated Terminals first provided crane and cargo services at Globalplex in 2000. Since 2005, the company has been the terminal’s exclusive operator. With river, rail and highway access, the terminal supports a range of cargo activity and industrial tenants and is positioned as an economic development driver for the River Parishes region, port officials said.

Founded in 1960, the Port of South Louisiana is a 54-mile port district on the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, encompassing St. Charles, St. John the Baptist and St. James parishes. The port describes itself as the largest in Louisiana and No. 2 in the Western Hemisphere, ranking as the No. 1 U.S. grain exporter and the No. 2 U.S. energy transfer port. The district includes seven grain transfer facilities, four major oil refineries and 11 petrochemical manufacturing facilities, among other assets.

Featured image caption: Port of South Louisiana officials and stakeholders cut a ribbon to offiially open a new dock access bridge at its Globalplex Intermodal Terminal. The second access bridge is a reliability and capacity upgrade designed to keep cargo moving even when one access route is out of service. (Photo courtesy of Port of South Louisiana)