Archives



Business, Freight News, Logistics, Sea


Port of New Orleans Board Dedicates $25M Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal

[ April 14, 2016   //   ]

The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans joined a host of elected officials and industry partners on April 12 to dedicate the Port’s new $25 million Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal. The terminal, made possible by a $16.7 million federal transportation TIGER grant, has a capacity of moving 160,000 TEUsper year by rail.

“This new terminal provides a highly efficient option for our customers moving cargo via rail,” said Gary LaGrange, Port President and CEO.
The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant provided about 68% of the total funding for the terminal. The Port’s capital budget covered the remaining investment.

“This new terminal will facilitate the movement of marine and rail cargo, stimulate international commerce and enhance safety – all while reducing the carbon footprint of regional and national transportation systems within our market – which constitutes 62 percent of consumers of the United States,” said Michael Kearney, Vice Chairman of the Port’s Board of Commissioners.

The new railyard features four tracks with 1,550 feet of working pad for each track, in addition to a runaround track. Two new rubber-tired gantry cranes built by Konecranes are part of the project scope, further increasing cargo handling and efficiency. A new marshalling yard of 18-inch concrete paving will provide an additional 64,000 TEUs of capacity in the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal. In addition, the new terminal design will make five more acres available for the planned expansion of the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal.

“CN has and is expanding our inland reach,” said John Orr, Senior Vice President – Southern Region for CN Railroad. “We are marketing our additional inland points such as Indianapolis, Decatur (IL), Chippewa Falls and Arcadia (WI), as well as growth in the Detroit area. CN is proud to be the primary intermodal solution for the Port of New Orleans serving the major geographical freight hubs in North America. CN is working in collaboration with our partners to continue to grow the business through strategic marketing initiatives.”

“New Orleans is a major player for national and international cargo operations and now we have the assets and capabilities needed to remain competitive at the highest level in the global market,” said David Schulingkamp, Chairman of the Board of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, the short-line railroad that provides the Port’s connectivity to its six Class 1 railroad partners. “This new railyard will improve shipping logistics tremendously, which will in turn grow cargo business for the Port of New Orleans.”

Tags: