Sounding train whistles, civic and harbor officials on Wednesday touted the completion of a three-year Port of Long Beach project that seeks to push more cargo on rail while eliminating the number of truck trips on the road.

Paid in part with state and federal funds, the $93 million Green Port Gateway project solves a critical part of managing cargo growth for the nation’s second-busiest seaport by adding a third track on the southeast side of the port to ease bottlenecks, officials said.

The new nearly 6-mile track near Ocean Boulevard serves the Long Beach Container Terminal, International Transportation Service and Pacific Container Terminal, which combined handle half of the cargo that flows through the port complex.

The project also supports Middle Harbor, a new mega-terminal capable of handling 3 million container units and involved rebuilding part of Harbor Scenic Drive and 6,000 feet of retaining wall.

“This Green Port Gateway rail project is a perfect example of the types of initiatives that the Port of Long Beach will be embarking on to ensure that we can move the cargo quickly,” said harbor commission board President Lori Ann Guzman.

Officials also lauded the project’s environmental benefits, which include eliminating as many as 2.3 million truck trips and 300,000 tons of greenhouse gases. Trains put out one-third less greenhouse gases on a ton-mile basis compared with trucks, according to the port.

“It’s a very, very aggressive project, but I’ll tell you, it is what drives all of the benefits of the environmental focus that we have here for the port,” Chief Executive Jon Slangerup said.

The rail project allows the Port of Long Beach to meet its near-term goal of moving cargo by on-dock rail by 35 percent and eventually by 50 percent, Slangerup said.

“(This) marks another big step as we build the port of the future here in Long Beach,” he said.

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Contact Karen Robes Meeks at 562-714-2088.