Future of North America infrastructure looks positive

As global trade pushes the limits of today’s ports, three gateways on North America’s coasts are quietly rewriting their blueprints to welcome the next generation of ultra‑large container ships.

On Canada’s West Coast, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is gearing up for a landmark milestone. This July it will invite construction partners to help build Roberts Bank Terminal 2—a massive reclamation and wharf complex that, by the mid‑2030s, will move over $100 billion of goods each year. With Indigenous consent secured from 27 partner nations, the project promises more than 18,000 construction jobs and 17,000 permanent roles, injecting $3 billion annually into Canada’s GDP. By choosing a progressive design‑build approach, Vancouver is ensuring flexibility, collaboration and cost certainty every step of the way.

Farther south, in Long Beach, the International Transportation Service terminal is mid‑stride through a $365 million makeover. Filling in a 19‑acre slip will transform two awkwardly separated yards into a 277‑acre, square‑shaped powerhouse—complete with 3,500 feet of berth capable of handling two 18,000‑TEU giants at once. A new gate complex and modern terminal‑operating system will slash truck wait times, while a pledge to electrify all cargo‑handling gear by 2030 and expand on‑dock rail underscores Long Beach’s green ambitions.

On the East Coast, Savannah’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric—5.6 million TEUs in 2024 made it the nation’s fastest‑growing gateway. To keep pace, Georgia Ports has already opened a temporary lay berth at Ocean Terminal, cutting idle time by 75 percent and freeing up capacity for another million TEUs annually. By 2028, yard renovations will add another 1.5 million TEUs, and Phase I of a new Hutchinson Island terminal—targeted for 2030—will bring three more deep‑water berths and 3.5 million TEUs of space as part of a $4 billion, coast‑to‑coast capacity surge.

Together, these projects represent more than concrete and steel—they’re blueprints for resilience. By expanding berths, modernizing technology and weaving in cleaner energy and rail, Vancouver, Long Beach and Savannah are preparing not just for bigger ships, but for stronger, more sustainable supply chains that will serve North America well into the 2030s.