Port of Los Angeles Pier 500 Container Terminal

The busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere is planning its first new terminal in a generation. The Port of Los Angeles has begun studying Pier 500, a marine container terminal that would add capacity on made land in the San Pedro Bay complex, and issued a request for proposals to gauge developer and operator interest.

Project Scope

Pier 500 is envisioned as a new deep-water container facility built to handle the largest vessels calling the U.S. West Coast, with wharf, backland, on-dock rail, and electrified cargo-handling equipment consistent with the port’s zero-emission targets. The port is running feasibility, environmental, and financing review before committing to a delivery approach. Scale, berth count, and cost will firm up as the studies advance.

Why It Matters

Los Angeles and neighboring Long Beach move a huge share of U.S. containerized imports, and both have been squeezed between growth targets and community pressure over air quality. A brand-new terminal, the port’s first in decades, would reset how much cargo the complex can absorb without simply stacking more boxes on existing piers. It also lands as U.S. ports from Houston to Savannah race to expand, a build-out driven by shifting trade routes and bigger ships.

Project Team & Details