Port of New Orleans to Undergo Expansion

The Port of New Orleans, battered by Hurricane Katrina 2½ years ago, will undergo a $1 billion expansion that port officials say will be key to the city's economic rebound.

The port's plans come as much of the rest of the city struggles to return to pre-Katrina conditions. The centerpiece of the plan is a $478 million expansion to the port's container cargo terminal that would increase its capacity, according to a copy of the plan released Tuesday.

The expansion to its container operations would help New Orleans capture some of the projected boom in international shipping in the coming decade and infuse the city with much-needed jobs and revenue, said Gary LaGrange, the port's president and CEO.