A look into the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay

This is one of many projects the Port of Coos Bay is undergoing. Others include repair projects, a channel modification project for larger ships, a Coos Bay Rail Line project and more. The flagship project lies with the port which is expected to take five years.

The first two years, according to the project’s website, will consist of acquiring the necessary permits.

“The Port of Coos Bay project would drive economic opportunity for our coast, our state, and the region more broadly,” said Rep. Val Hoyle. “The project has broad bipartisan support and will create jobs, reinvigorate our coastal communities, and make it easier and greener for farmers and businesses to export their goods to the world.”

According to Hoyle, the project has the potential to improve “our nation’s competitiveness” which, in turn, strengthens the country’s national security.

“The people who lost their jobs in the timber industry were promised a just transition to new careers—but we all know that did not happen, and this is an opportunity to deliver on the promises that were made to the people on the South Coast,” Hoyle said.

Matt Friesen, PCIP director of external affairs, said there has been a lot of public support after engaging the local Coos Bay community, addressing their concerns and driving interest.

“In addition to creating well-paying job opportunities for local residents, it will boost property and income taxes locally,” Friesen said. “This benefits local governments such as Coos County which is currently facing a $4 million deficit and will help support critical local services such as the Bay Area hospital which has faced insolvency largely because the payer mix locally is so dependent on government health insurance. We need more career path private sector jobs that bring with it private health insurance.”

The project itself has three components that encompass other projects like the rail line and the channel modification project. According to the project’s website, the total cost is approximately $2.3 billion and could bring an estimated 6,900 jobs split between Coos, Douglas and Lane counties.

In October 2024, PCIP announced it had secured two separate grants totaling $49 million. According to Friesen, the state provided $15 million to complete permitting on the channel and another $40 million to offset construction costs on the channel. He said ODOT and the City of Reedsport secured a $3.9 million grant to “ensure traffic continues to flow through downtown Reedsport when trains are coming through.”

The website states, “The Port of Coos Bay is the ideal location to construct the PCIP because not only does it have an existing rail line that connects with the Class I railway network, it also has a naturally deep channel that is maintained annually by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.”

According to Friesen, the PCIP project does not have any “hurdles.” However, he said there are many moving parts.

“We are currently working on completing our contracting phase, then we will immediately go into the process of selecting contractors for design and permitting,” Friesen said. “In parallel with those efforts, we are also making sure to keep our community engaged in the status of the project, and also be mindful and thoughtful about the community’s questions and concerns. It is a big project, with a lot of moving parts, but also an incredibly economically significant project for the community, the south coast, and the state of Oregon.”

Currently, the Port of Coos Bay plays a part in transportation and Southern Oregon’s economy. The keystone operation for the port is Charleston Marina which serves a fishing fleet and other facilities like the Charleston Ice Dock, boatyards, RV parks and a U.S. Coast Guard installation.

The freight line was added to the Port of Coos Bay in 2009 for $16.6 million

The Port of Coos Bay website states, “Today, service is restored and rail shipments interchange at Eugene with the Union Pacific Railroad, and other regional shortline rail operations. The rail line is operating as a subsidiary of the Port of Coos Bay rail Line Inc. serving Coos County, western Douglas County and western Lane County.”