Aerial view of Pier B at the Port of Long Beach showing rail yard expansion and construction operations.
Port of Long Beach, California, August 16, 2025
Jacobs has been awarded the program-level construction management role for the Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support Facility at the Port of Long Beach. The Pier B program will expand the rail yard from 82 to 171 acres, more than tripling on‑dock rail capacity to support up to 4.7 million TEUs annually. The contract will coordinate ten construction packages covering wharf work, backland development and an administration building, with centralized environmental compliance and weekly coordination to limit disruption at the active port. The program is expected to create over 1,000 local construction jobs and improve cargo flow while reducing truck trips and emissions.
A major construction management role has been awarded for the Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support Facility program at the Port of Long Beach in California. A Dallas‑based contractor will provide program‑level construction management services after announcing the award on Aug. 7. The value of the construction management contract was not disclosed. The Pier B work is a key part of the port’s broader capital program, which totals $2.2 billion.
The Pier B program will expand the existing rail yard from 82 acres to 171 acres, effectively doubling the yard footprint and more than tripling the port’s on‑dock rail capacity. Once complete, the facility is expected to support handling of up to 4.7 million TEUs annually. The expansion is framed as a measure to move more cargo by rail, cut the number of truck trips, lower emissions and improve air quality in communities near the port.
Program management is planned to continue through the current decade, with the contractor expecting work to wrap up in 2032. The program includes a set of ten separate construction contracts covering wharf work, backland development and a new administration building among other components. The port described the Pier B program as a cornerstone of the larger capital plan and as a project that will enhance cargo movement efficiency while supporting regional economic development.
Program-level efforts aim to streamline cargo movement into and out of the terminal complex, reduce reliance on truck trips and lower the overall environmental impact of port operations. The project is associated with efforts to help improve local air quality and to support community health initiatives. An environmental compliance hub will oversee permit and impact report requirements, coordinate with regulatory agencies and help keep construction moving without avoidable delays.
The construction manager will deliver umbrella program-level support construction management services. This approach is intended to enable shared staffing, integrated constructability reviews and close coordination with the port’s internal construction team. Weekly coordination meetings and a single hub for environmental compliance are planned to align upcoming activities, manage equipment deliveries and reduce disruptions during work at the active port.
The Pier B program is expected to generate more than 1,000 local jobs over the life of construction and to contribute to the region’s economic base through improved cargo flow and supply chain resilience. Supporters of the project describe it as a way to lower shipping costs by speeding transfers between ships and trains and by reducing congestion on surrounding roads.
The construction manager has previously worked at the Port of Long Beach on projects such as a new fireboat station and has delivered waterfront infrastructure in other West Coast ports. The firm says its recent work spans water systems, advanced facilities and other high‑growth markets, and that it brings a mix of local experience and larger program expertise to maritime projects. Past project delivery included a multi-award fire station built to resilient design standards and work to repair aging quay walls using subsea mapping and targeted grout repairs.
Program-level construction management already used on earlier port phases reportedly coordinated multiple projects under a single structure, allowed repurposing of surplus materials, integrated ship‑to‑shore crane planning, and reduced schedule delays by months in earlier phases. A team of 22 professional construction management staff is credited with delivering more than $450 million in projects during prior phases of the port program.
The Port of Long Beach is one of the busiest container ports in the United States and is widely used as a major gateway for trans‑Pacific trade. The port handles more than 9 million TEUs annually, moves cargo valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars each year and supports jobs across the country. The Pier B expansion is part of a longer-term push to boost rail capacity at the port and lower the environmental impacts of moving cargo.
Managing construction inside an active port presents special challenges, including coordinating around ongoing terminal operations, meeting strict environmental review requirements and aligning deliveries and equipment to avoid operational disruptions. The chosen construction management approach is designed to tackle those challenges by keeping teams aligned and by centralizing environmental oversight and schedule coordination.
Work sequencing and the ten construction contracts will proceed under the program management structure to minimize impact on current port operations. Key milestones include staged expansion of the rail yard, integration of new rail and terminal systems, environmental compliance tasks and phased startup to enable early benefits as parts of the facility come online ahead of the final 2032 completion date.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project | Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support Facility |
| Location | Port of Long Beach, California |
| Manager | Dallas‑based construction management firm (award announced Aug. 7) |
| Program cost | $2.2 billion (port capital program) |
| Rail yard size | Expands from 82 acres to 171 acres |
| Rail capacity | Up to 4.7 million TEUs annually; more than triple current on‑dock rail capacity |
| Jobs | More than 1,000 local jobs expected during construction |
| Completion | Expected in 2032 |
| Contracts | Ten construction contracts to manage, covering wharves, backland and administration facilities |
| Environmental aims | Reduce truck trips, lower emissions, improve air quality, centralized environmental oversight |
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