12:05am Thursday | Construction on the massive Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project expansion to the Port of Long Beach will begin this spring, set in motion by a recent decision made by the Board of Harbor Commissioners.

The board unanimously approved a $123 million dredging and wharf building contract to Seattle-based Manson and Connolly construction companies in a joint venture.

Officials tout the new employment opportunities that will be created by the coming work.

“We’re talking about a tremendously positive economic impact for this region – this contract alone will create 670 jobs over a nearly two-year period, and is one of the biggest contracts awarded by the Port,” said Richard Steinke, executive director of the Port of Long Beach. “We’re looking forward to this first phase of redeveloping Middle Harbor.”

It is the first step in the nine-year, $1 billion Middle Harbor expansion that will more more than double the cargo handling capacity at the port. The port and the entire surrounding goods movement industry – including railyards and other projects – are in a rush to upgrade infrastructure in preparation for an expected trade boom in the next decade and beyond.

The project will use such advanced environmental technology and equipment that once fully operational, pollution caused by these machines will be reduced by half even as the project doubles cargo handling capacity.