Army Corps Greenlights Major New Container Terminal on Mississippi River

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has granted the federal permit needed to build the Louisiana International Terminal, clearing a major regulatory hurdle for the planned deepwater container terminal on the Lower Mississippi River.

The approval authorizes construction of the greenfield terminal in St. Bernard Parish, a project designed to accommodate the largest container ships calling at U.S. ports while expanding the Port of New Orleans’ access to international container trade.

The Louisiana International Terminal, or LIT, is being developed through a public-private partnership between the Port of New Orleans, Terminal Investment Limited (TiL), the terminal investment arm of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), and Ports America.

“This is a defining moment not just for Louisiana, but for the entire country,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said. “The Louisiana International Terminal will stimulate economic growth and cement Louisiana’s role as the nation’s gateway to global trade.”

The terminal’s location downriver from New Orleans is central to the project’s strategy. Today’s largest containerships cannot reach Port NOLA’s existing container facilities because of the air-draft restriction imposed by the Crescent City Connection bridges. LIT will be located below those bridges, allowing ships exceeding 16,000 TEUs to reach the terminal without the same restrictions.

The project will also take advantage of the 50-foot Lower Mississippi River Ship Channel and connections to major railroads and the interstate highway network, giving cargo moving through the terminal access to markets across more than 30 states.

“Today’s permit turns years of engineering, environmental review, and partnership into forward motion,” said Port NOLA President and CEO Beth Branch. “This is not simply a regional port expansion — it is nationally significant infrastructure that will expand American export capacity and position Louisiana to lead the next generation of maritime commerce. We are ready to build.”

The project was first announced in 2022 as a $1.8 billion container terminal capable of handling 2 million TEUs annually at full buildout. Ports America and TiL committed $800 million toward the development, with additional investment expected from Port NOLA and state and federal sources.

Port NOLA purchased more than 1,200 acres in Violet, Louisiana, in 2020 for the project, with roughly 400 acres designated for the terminal, related infrastructure and buffer areas.

The federal permit represents a significant step forward for a project that has spent years working through engineering and environmental review.

“This is one of the most strategically significant terminal investments in our global portfolio,” said Ammar Kanaan, CEO of TiL. “The Mississippi River corridor gives the United States a chance to build deepwater capacity that rivals any port in the world.”

Port NOLA says its existing cargo activity supports more than $101 billion in economic value nationwide and more than 342,000 U.S. jobs, including more than 122,000 in Louisiana. At full buildout, LIT is projected to add thousands of jobs and generate billions of dollars in tax revenue.

With the Army Corps permit now secured, Port NOLA and its private-sector partners will move the project into its next phase as they prepare for construction.

The project is one of two major greenfield container terminal developments planned for the lower Mississippi River. APM Terminals has separately committed an initial $500 million toward a new terminal with Plaquemines Port, closer to the mouth of the river.

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