This photo shows the largest megaship ever to dock at the Long Beach Port

The largest container ship ever to dock at a North American port sailed into the Port of Long Beach Thursday, where dockworkers will move about 12,500 cargo containers on and off the ship.

The CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin made its inaugural stop in Southe Califoia in December at the Port of Los Angeles. The two local ports are among the few that can handle such a large vessel.

The Pacific Container Terminal at the Port of Long Beach is able to handle these megaships, and soon, the Long Beach Container Terminal Middle Harbor will be able to handle even larger ships when it opens this spring, said Lori A Guzman, president of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners. The new terminal will be fully complete by 2020.

A series of tours and media events aboard the ship are plaed for Friday.

The ship is scheduled to leave the local harbor on Feb. 24.

– Press-Telegram staff

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