Port of Mobile launches $100M Pier B South overhaul

Redo of Pier B South and construction of the Montgomery ICTF mark major steps in expanding freight capacity

The Port of Mobile has begun demolition of its Pier B South, part of a $100 million modernization effort. (Photo: Port of Mobile)
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Key Takeaways:

  • The Alabama Port Authority has begun a $100 million federal project to modernize Pier B South at the Port of Mobile, aiming to expand breakbulk capacity and integrate modern handling capabilities over the next three years.
  • Concurrently, construction continues on the state's $94 million Montgomery Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF), scheduled to open in 2027 to improve freight mobility between central Alabama manufacturers and Mobile's seaport.
  • Both initiatives are part of a long-term strategy to scale Alabama's logistics infrastructure to support the state's growing manufacturing sectors, including steel, forest products, and automotive.
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The Alabama Port Authority has begun demolition and reconstruction of Pier B South at the Port of Mobile, marking the start of a multi-year modernization initiative aimed at expanding breakbulk capacity. 

The move comes as construction also advances on the state’s $94 million Montgomery Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF), a key inland-rail hub designed to improve freight mobility between central Alabama manufacturers and Mobile’s container terminal.

Pier B South — originally built in the 1920s — is being completely redeveloped through a $100 million federal investment, according to a news release

The new 1,500-foot berth will be engineered to handle 1,500-pounds-per-square-foot and accommodate mobile harbor cranes and shore-power connections, while integrating directly with the port’s general cargo complex.

The project is expected to take about three years to complete and represents Phase I of the port’s broader General Cargo Modernization Program, which also includes warehouse upgrades adding more than 110,000-square-feet of capacity by mid-2026.

At the same time, construction continues on the Montgomery ICTF, a 272-acre rail-served terminal that will link CSX Intermodal directly to Mobile’s seaport, Construction Equipment Guide reported.

Groundwork, stormwater systems, subgrade stabilization and siding construction are progressing, with ICTF scheduled to open in 2027. When fully operational, the facility will handle 60,000 twenty-foot equivalent units annually.

Alabama Port Authority CEO Doug Otto said both projects reflect a long-term strategy to scale logistics infrastructure in step with the state’s manufacturing expansion — including steel and forest-products producers in the Mobile region and automotive OEMs in Montgomery.

“From warehouse improvements to inland rail investments, every piece of this strategy ties back to a single goal — serving Alabama industry,” Otto said in a statement.

Noi Mahoney

Noi Mahoney is a Texas-based journalist who covers cross-border trade, logistics and supply chains for FreightWaves. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in English in 1998. Mahoney has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working for newspapers in Maryland and Texas. Contact nmahoney@freightwaves.com