Federal legislation that would help fund a channel deepening project at the Port of Long Beach took a step forward on Tuesday, July 14, moving out of the  was moved forward by a U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, announced that the Water Resources Development Act passed out of committee. The measure, if ultimately enacted, would support the port’s channel deepening project, a $255 million investment that would be split between the federal government and the Port of Long Beach to expand the port’s main channel.

The WRDA — which has long been a bipartisan endeavor — will go to the full House next, though there’s no exact timeline for when. The Senate is also working on its own version.

The project, Garcia said, will strengthen America’s supply chain and reduce pollution from ships waiting to dock outside the harbor.

“This is a huge win for Long Beach, for our workers, and for people across the country who depend on goods moving through our port every single day,” Garcia said in a written statement. “I’ve been fighting for this project since my days as mayor of Long Beach, and today we took a major step toward getting it done. This investment will lower costs, prevent cargo delays and reduce the pollution caused by ships idling outside our harbor. I look forward to seeing this bill signed into law.”

The channel-deepening project received federal authorization four years ago, when it was included in the Water Resources Development Act of 2022, signed by then-President Joe Biden.

The legislation authorized federal flood control, navigation and ecosystem improvements. The Long Beach port channel deepening was one of only five navigation projects nationwide that met the goals of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers planning process for construction authorization.

The project will provide more room for the largest tankers and container vessels traveling through the harbor, along with fewer delays related to tidal flows, the port said previously.

The effort has been in the works for more than a decade as part of the Port of Long Beach’s Master Plan.

The project, which the Army Corps of Engineers will undertake, will include:

Deepening the Long Beach Approach Channel from 76 to 80 feet, which will ease turning bends in the Main Channel.
Constructing an approach channel and turning basin to Pier J South, with a depth of 55 feet.
Depositing dredged material in near-shore sites for reuse or in federally approved ocean disposal sites.

Port of Long Beach CEO Noel Hacegaba on Tuesday hailed the news of the latest Water Resources Development Act passing out of committee.

“Ports and the supply chain are vital to our economy, enabling commerce and energizing business activity across the nation,” he said in a written statement. “Federal investment in maritime infrastructure is crucial to bolstering the economic output created by trade, and reauthorizing the Water Resources Development Act is an important step to ensuring we are optimizing America’s trade opportunities.”

The port anticipates its cargo flow to double by 2050.

“At the Port of Long Beach, we are building the Port of the Future, and this legislation will help us advance key projects,” Hacegaba said, “including our Deep Draft Navigation Project that will improve navigational safety, maximize cargo efficiency and strengthen the flow of goods that reach every community in the United States.”

The port leader also expressed gratitude to those supporting the WRDA.

“We are grateful to Rep. Garcia, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and all of our federal partners,” Hacegaba said, “for recognizing that investing in ports like Long Beach builds a stronger, more competitive and resilient national economy.”

Construction on the channel deepening project is expected to begin in 2027 and take about three years.