New intermodal gate complex
Awards for 72 projects were granted, with seven classified by the DoT as “maritime”, totalling US$74m, while five freight rail projects accumulated $55m.
The Port of Seattle won US$20m to develop one of its four major container terminals, Terminal 46, enabling the port to serve super post-Panamax ships simultaneously, with a capacity of 10,000 teu each.
The Virginia Port Authority was awarded a US$15 million TIGER grant to create a new intermodal gate complex at Norfolk International Terminals (NIT); this new $29m gate will tie-in to the planned I-564 Intermodal Connector and is intended to increase cargo velocity and efficiency at NIT.
In New Jersey, the Port Newark Container Terminal access improvement and expansion project gained US$14.8m.
The South Carolina Port Authority was allotted US$10.8m for planned upgrades and improvements to its Wando Welch Terminal while the Port of Tucson Container Export Rail Facility is set for a US$5m boost.
Peter McGraw, spokesman for the Port of Seattle, called the $20 million “a very significant” sum that would pay for much-needed upgrades at Terminal 46, which handles around 20% of the port’s container volumes, mostly from Asia.
The money will help boost cargo-handling capacity by extending the crane rail at the dock to allow five cranes to serve each super post-Panamax ship.
Upgrades in South Carolina, due to begin in spring 2015, will enhance the structural support of the wharf and fendering system and modify crane rails to accommodate two new super-post-Panamax cranes on order for the terminal.
