SpaceX proposes major cargo facility in Vermilion Parish

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VERMILION PARISH, La. (Acadiana News First) - SpaceX is proposing a major new cargo facility in lower Vermilion Parish that would connect the Gulf of Mexico, inland waterways and Louisiana’s highway system.

According to a permit application filed with state and federal regulators, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. wants to build a wharf near Freshwater City, south of Pecan Island, along with inland barge facilities and a nearly 16-mile road designed to carry heavy and oversized loads.

The proposed project would be located near the end of Highway 3147, also known as Freshwater City Road. It would include facilities along Freshwater Bayou and nearby waterways that connect to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

SpaceX says the project would allow the company to move large cargo between Gulf vessels, barges and trucks.
The company says some of that cargo would be too large or too heavy to move easily using existing public roads and local marine facilities.
The permit application does not say exactly what SpaceX plans to move through the facility, and it does not describe the project as a launch site.
The heavy-haul road would stretch about 15.75 miles from Louisiana Highway 82 south to the proposed coastal facilities.
The project would also include dredging and other work needed to allow vessels to reach the site.

SpaceX estimates the project would affect hundreds of acres of wetlands and water bottoms. The company says it plans to reduce those impacts where possible and use dredged material to help create or restore nearby marsh.

The project would be privately funded. SpaceX lists a proposed construction start date of March 1, 2027, with completion expected by Sept. 1, 2032.

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