MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Gov. Kay Ivey and Alabama state leaders celebrated Thursday the groundbreaking of the Montgomery Intermodal Container Transfer Facility, a major infrastructure project aimed at enhancing freight connectivity between central Alabama and the Port of Mobile.
Situated on a 272-acre site in southwest Montgomery, the MICTF is a collaborative effort between the Alabama State Port Authority and CSX Transportation, and will include two 3,500-foot process rail tracks, a 3,500-foot support rail track, and a 10,000-foot lead track, among other amenities to facilitate container shipping.
Estimated to cost $81.7 million, the project is funded primarily from federal appropriations secured by former U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, along with contributions from the state and CSX Transportation.
“Today, we’re celebrating the intermodal container transfer facility project happening right here in Montgomery,” Ivey told a crowd of around 50 people. “It will be one of the most efficient container terminals in the United States, and no doubt, it’ll expand the port’s economic impact.”
Construction on the MICTF is expected to take about 24 months, with a completion date of mid-2027.
Since the project’s announcement in 2022, Ivey said that the private sector had invested $3 billion in the Montgomery metro area, naming companies like Hyundai Motors and Amazon as examples. She also noted that the Port of Mobile’s Harbor Modernization Project, which will enhance the port’s ability to accommodate larger vessels, was “on time” and “on budget” for its scheduled completion date in May of this year.
John Driscoll, CEO and director of the Alabama State Port Authority, said the new facility will significantly expand the state’s standing as a major domestic and international shipping hub.
“The Montgomery ICTF is a critical piece of infrastructure to leverage our growth statewide and build on ongoing economic success that is happening across Alabama,” Driscoll said. “Once complete, this facility will allow Alabama businesses to get their goods to market more efficiently with lower costs, making our state even more competitive than it already is.”
As the second-fasted growing port in the United States, the Port of Mobile had an economic impact of nearly $100 billion in 2022, the latest annual economic data available, an increase of more than $13 billion when compared to the previous year, and of nearly $71 billion when compared to 2020.
Alabama has seen its exports increase in tandem with the Port of Mobile’s increased economic impact, with Alabama companies exporting a total of $27.4 billion in 2023, a 6% increase over the previous year. In 2024, Alabama became the number-one state in terms of vehicle exports, with international vehicle shipments exceeding $11.2 billion in 2023.