The port is asking for $16.9 million from the state Legislature to jump-start the project
After being stymied in its plans to build a $500 million cargo dock in front of the Bonnet Carre Spillway control structure in Norco, the Port of South Louisiana has shifted its sights to an area just upriver from the control structure. Port Executive Director Joel T. Chaisson said Tuesday that the port is asking for $16.9 million from the state Legislature to jump-start the project, which he said will capture cargo and generate exports shipped in cargo containers that currently are piling up around the country.
In January, construction was under way on the new finger pier at The Port of South Louisiana Globalplex dock in Reserve. The proposed 2,000-foot-long dock would be immediately upriver from the ship anchorage in front of the spillway. A container yard would be located on about 100 acres of property connected on CC Road and connected to the dock with an overpass that would run along the border of St. Charles Parish's recently completed Montz park.
Chaisson said that configuration is one of several possible alternatives.
The dock would be designed to handle 950-foot long "Panamax" vessels, the largest ship that can currently pass through the Panama Canal, which is being expanded to handle larger ships.
"This project would open the entire Midwest to ships that come through the canal," Chaisson said.
The project would have to be built in phases, and would likely need private investors to come to fruition, Chaisson said.
The port has yet to file a permit request with the parish for the project, but gave parish officials copies of the proposal for informational purposes.
St. Charles Parish President V.J. St. Pierre Jr. said he is concerned about possible impacts to nearby residents, and to the park.
"As proposed it would be very close to Montz Park, which is attracting more foot and vehicular traffic after its recent upgrade," St. Pierre said in an e-mail. "In addition, the dock location seems to be too close to the Spillway, and there is very little area that could be used for access along CC Road to handle the increased truck traffic."
Chaisson said the proposed site is relatively isolated and separated from most of the area's population by an Entergy transmission corridor that connects to the company's Little Gypsy power plant.
However, the area gets lots of through traffic from neighborhoods upriver that have grown rapidly in the last 15 years.
The port's original plan to build a dock and elevated highway in front of the control structure ran into opposition from the Corps of Engineers because the proposed dock would have reduced the flow of water through the structure by 15 percent with 228 of the structure's 350 bays open. The port's engineers at URS said the flow could be increased by making some of bays wider. However, the port's engineers said in an e-mail to state officials negotiations with the corps has reached an impasse and that the port withdrew its request for a permit for that project in October 2010.