COOS BAY — The Port of Coos Bay, on the state’s southern coast, announced Wednesday it will construct a container facility to relieve congestion and broaden trade opportunities, including for agricultural goods.

For the project, the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay has partnered with NorthPoint Development, a Missouri-based development firm. The parties intend to finalize negotiations and sign a contract by the end of 2021.

The new facility will sit on the North Spit, a finger of land separating the bay from the Pacific Ocean. Once constructed, the facility will move more than 1 million 40-foot containers annually in and out through the port.

The new terminal, port officials say, could have a significant impact on shipment of farm goods.

“Development of a container terminal here in Coos Bay will truly be transformational for Coos Bay, as well as for shippers looking to get their goods and commodities to market in an efficient manner,” said Margaret Barber, the port’s director of external affairs and business development.

Most of Oregon’s export agricultural commodities, Barber said, are currently being shipped to ports in Seattle, Tacoma and San Francisco Bay. Those ports, she said, are “experiencing all-time levels of congestion,” adding “crippling delays,” costs and emissions.

A new terminal in Coos Bay, port leaders say, could help relieve congestion on the West Coast.

Chad Meyer, president and founding partner of NorthPoint, said the new facility should improve logistics, move ships in and out faster and eliminate anchoring for ships.

“This project will create a new gateway that will offer quick turnaround because we don’t have the same levels of congestion here,” agreed Barber of the port.

Barber said she believes the terminal will also create “tremendous” benefits for inland U.S. producers who rely too heavily on the Mississippi River for barge and ship transportation. The new terminal, she said, will allow Midwest producers to ship products westward.

John Burns, the port’s CEO, said he anticipates the new facility will also boost the regional economy.

”This project has the potential to diversify the region’s economy and create employment opportunities both for the existing workforce and for future generations,” said Burns.

Some critics, however, say turning Coos Bay into a major West Coast port is a pipe dream because Coos Bay is surrounded by narrow, winding roads, has limited access to trade corridors and must rely on its rail line.

Recent Coos Bay Rail Line improvements have cost taxpayers millions of dollars, according to legislative records. Some Oregonians say the investment is worth the payoff; others disagree.

Jeff Reimer, an Oregon State University professor of international trade and agricultural economics, said railroad developments have spawned a “huge amount of controversy.”

“Is it a good use of taxpayer money? Some say it is, some think it isn’t,” Reimer told the Capital Press.

The port is also moving forward with its channel modification project, intended to deepen and widen the channel so larger ships can pass through.