Port of Hampton Roads

[vdogg]

Outgoing shipments bouy port

Ports across the country are facing a slowdown in imported goods during this year's peak holiday shipping season. From late summer through early November, retailers bring over electronics, clothes and much more from Asia for holiday shoppers.

In Hampton Roads, exports are saving the day.

Outbound shipments through the Virginia Port Authority's three area cargo terminals are up about 8 percent since July 1 from the same period last year, said Joseph A. Dorto, chief executive of the authority's operating company, Virginia International Terminals. Imports for that period are roughly even with those of 2006, he said.

[Mobius57]

Plan to build a HUGE new terminal on craney island.

Dreadging to begin this year!

54,000 Jobs!

www.craneyisland.info

[MissySchmidt]

Plan to build a HUGE new terminal on craney island.

Dreadging to begin this year!

54,000 Jobs!

www.craneyisland.info

Another reason for citizens to push for transportation solutions now, wouldn't you agree?

[Mobius57]

Yes, (my pics gone!

[lammius]

I'd assume the plan is to tie rail into the new Alameda Corridor-like rail line in the median of the Western Exwy that APM will be using? The demand for warehousing and distribution space in Suffolk/Isle of Wight will soar through the roof if the Port of VA absorbs all of this new capacity!

[cpeakesqr]

I think the plans have slowed somewhat. From what I hear shipping has slowed and hours are being cut at the existing terminals.

[rusthebuss]

There is already a thread on this in the HR ports thread. This was orginally suppose to be completed in 2018

[Mobius57]

A thread in a thread!? Well it has its own thread now..

Its slowed because of the shipping, but it is necessary so it will NOT be canceled. Don't worry about it not happening because it will.

[spiker3]

A thread in a thread!? Well it has its own thread now..

Its slowed because of the shipping, but it is necessary so it will NOT be canceled. Don't worry about it not happening because it will.

There's been no talk about this project being canceled, nor will there be. This project is a go, just with a later completion date.

[varider]

http://www.wtkr.com/news/dp-biz_craney_052...0,7982600.story

Port officials are working to secure permits for the project's initial construction phase, slated to begin in mid-2011.

Once the groundwork is laid, the port authority would be responsible for raising money for vertical construction on the site, which would include paving, installing rail lines, buying cranes and other infrastructure.

The Craney Island Marine Terminal is set to be built on 600 acres of open water in the Elizabeth River, a five- to six-year process that requires the area to be cordoned off with a series of dikes and levees, filled with dredge material and given time to settle before any ground construction can begin.

Port officials originally targeted 2017 to begin moving cargo through the terminal, but revised that date to mid-2020 because of an international trade slow-down and other obstacles.

Once all phases of construction are complete, the new terminal would nearly double the state-owned port's cargo-handling capacity.

Craney Island expansion

[varider]

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/06/port-autho...-service-expand

The Virginia Port Authority has added "first-in" service from the Caribbean, making the local port the first East Coast stop for vessels bringing textiles, coffee and other commodities from the southern Atlantic.

The first ship in that service, Eclips, is scheduled to arrive today at Portsmouth Marine Terminal. Eclips is operated by CMA CGM, the French steamship line with U.S. headquarters in Norfolk that recently agreed to shift its Caribbean service to make its first call in Hampton Roads.

First-in service typically means the shipper unloads the largest amount of cargo at that port, so it arrives at its destination faster. In addition to the new Caribbean service, the local port has first-in calls from two other shipping lines: NYK, coming from the eastern coast of South America; and the CKYH Alliance, coming from North Asia.

The CMA CGM service includes a rotation of three vessels, one of which will stop each week, bringing a couple hundred containers per month at the beginning, said Joe Harris, the authority's spokesman. That's a relatively small amount that the port expects to grow, particularly when the economy improves, he said. The ships will carry mostly commodities and textiles, much of it for customers in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Cargo coming into Hampton Roads typically travels to the Northeast and Midwest. The Carolinas represent a market where the local port can expand its business, Harris said. "We think there's a lot of potential for growth."

[varider]

I don't know if you guys have seen this or not, it's from May.

http://www.craneyisland.info/PDF/craneyisl...tionmay2009.pdf

This project is insane. We will be twice as strong a metro by 2025. The largest port in the country! 54,000 direct jobs. Can you imagine how many more could be created from business relocations/ startups just to be located near the country's largest port. You see what happened to NYC and L.A because of there ports. Really guys, this will put us over the top.

The magnitude of economic benefits generated

from an expanded Port of Virginia eclipse that of

any other proposed regional growth sectors. In

total, the Craney Island Eastward Expansion will

generate over 54,000 jobs with wages of $1.7

billion and state and local tax revenues of $155

million.

[Mobius57]

I LOVE CRANEY ISLAND! I like cargo ports.. They're so.. economic!

I have a kayak, think anyone could survive the channel out there in one? Id be scared of the big ships though. If small watercraft like that are even allowed out therelol..

[varider]

Don't know if any of you are following the Craney Island Eastward Expansion project, but if you are...

Here is the October edition of the "Craney Island Connection."

Basically, this project is moving forward with dike construction beginning in the summer of 2010.

"The project will create 54.000 jobs with wages of $1.7 billion and local tax revenues of $155 million."

How cool will it be to have the east coast (and maybe the nation's) largest port?

[MissySchmidt]

How cool will it be to have the east coast (and maybe the nation's) largest port?

Actually, with the Craney Island expansion and improved transportation infrastructure, the Port of Hampton Roads would be poised to become the east coast hub-seaport with the mega ships of tomorrow. You've heard of Suezmax and Panamax classed ships? Start thinking of them as "Virginiamax"! Hampton Roads is truly a gateway to the world!

[Achilles]

I don't know if any of y'all have heard about this yet (or posted about it yet, since I had previously been unable to access UP for at least a month due to router issues), but this is nothing but good news for the Port of Virginia (aka the Port of Hampton Roads). I believe there was a similar article about this in the Pilot. This particular article is from the Daily Press: http://weblogs.daily...g_boost_t.html.

The article basically says that Norfolk Southern's Heartland Corridor, which will be opening next year, will be benefiting our ports because the new rail route will bypass previous routes for double-stacked train cars and such and shave off 200 miles of the cargo's trip from the Port of VA to Chicago and other important Midwest cities. As a result, the Port of VA will be receiving an extra 30,000-40,000 more container units, which, according to the article, will put us into competition with the Ports of New York and New Jersey. This is nothing but good news for us.

Edit: Apparently, the link won't work because, whenever I try to post it, an image from the Daily Press which UP tells me I am not allowed to post is attached. I don't know how to remove the image (whatever it is; probably DP's photo of the day). Sorry. :/ Just try Googling "New port service a big boost to cargo volumes" instead, and you'll see what I mean.

[varider]

Craney Island is going to be the huge boost to push us to the #1 spot on the eaast coast.

[ronsmytheiii]

The appointment of an independent-review panel to weigh three proposals by private groups interested in leasing or helping to operate the Virginia Port Authority’s terminals will be made by the incoming administration in Richmond, according to a spokeswoman for Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell. “Once in office, Governor-elect McDonnell along with Secretary-designate Sean Connaughton will review and announce the panel to look at all proposals for the Port of Virginia,” Taylor Thornley, a McDonnell spokeswoman, said in an e-mail. “Ultimately the governor-elect’s final decision for the port will be contingent on what will generate the most revenue to help build our transportation and trade infrastructure, and what will be the most beneficial for the Port, Hampton Roads and all of Virginia.”

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/01/govelect-mcdonnell-appoint-review-panel-port-bids

[varider]

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/02/largest-cargo-ship-visiting-hampton-roads

NORFOLK

The biggest container ship to call on the port of Hampton Roads - the MSC Tomoko - arrived about noon Monday.

If you happened to be in the vicinity of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, it would have been hard to miss.

About as large as a Navy aircraft carrier, the Tomoko is about 1,090 feet long and 142 feet wide. It can carry the equivalent of about 8,400 20-foot containers, lined 17-wide across its deck. The huge white "MSC" initials on its hull stand for Mediterranean Shipping Co., the world's second-largest container shipping line.

The Virginia Port Authority late last week heralded the ship's arrival as a harbinger of the size of vessel the port will see once the Panama Canal is widened in about four years. The Tomoko and ships its size - and larger - are too big to pass through the canal now.

"The arrival of the MSC Tomoko marks an exciting milepost for The Port of Virginia," said Jerry A. Bridges, executive director of the port authority, in a posting on its blog. "The Suez Canal is unconstrained and the Panama Canal is undergoing a massive five-year expansion project. This doesn't mean all of the vessels calling Virginia are going to be this size, but this is the beginning."

[mlsimons]

That's what she said...

[ronsmytheiii]

From SmartRegion.org, looks like the Craney Island Terminal received $1 million dollars in the President''s FY2011 budget, although I personally dont like the budget this at least shows support on the Federal level:

The development of Craney Island Marine Terminal has taken another step forward as $1 million for the project has been included in the President’s proposed 2010-2011 federal budget.

Work on the first phase is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2011 and finish in 2019 or 2020. This phase includes 220 acres of container yard, 3,000 linear feet of berth space, eight cranes and the ICTF.

http://smartregion.org/2010/02/1m-for-craney-island-marine-terminal-in-federal-budget/

[varider]

Wow, by 2019-2020 there will be eight cranes on the Island? That's impressive to me. Imagine the view from 664

Wow, by 2019-2020 there will be eight cranes on the Island? That's impressive to me. Imagine the view from 664

[varider]

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/03/craney-island-port-project-receives-needed-permits-state

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has issued permit approval to the Virginia Port Authority and the Army Corps of Engineers for the Craney Island Eastward Expansion project, Gov. Bob McDonnell announced Thursday.

"Today's announcement is critical to the success and completion of Craney Island and future growth for the Port of Virginia," McDonnell said in a statement. "The economic impact of this permit approval goes beyond Craney Island. This project will generate thousands of jobs and millions more in revenue for the Hampton Roads area and to the state."

[ronsmytheiii]

The Virginia Port Authority and APM Terminals Inc. have agreed to the basic framework of a 20-year lease agreement that would give the state the exclusive rights to operate APM's private Portsmouth marine cargo terminal, Transportation Secretary Sean T. Connaughton said Friday.

Though the two sides have yet to finalize a handful of minor details of the contract, officials are confident a final agreement will be in place by summer.

"At this point, the basic deal – the framework of the deal – has been agreed to by both sides," Connaughton told the Daily Press. "Now we're going through the due diligence process and looking at the legal language to make sure everything's right."

http://www.dailypress.com/business/ports/dp-local_port_0410apr10,0,6971189.story

[varider]

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/04/cargo-port-223-percent-compared-year-ago

The number of 20-foot cargo containers handled at the Port of Hampton Roads in March rose 22.3 percent compared with the same month a year ago, according to figures released today by the Virginia Port Authority.

It was the third month in a row that the number of 20-foot containers rose compared with the same months last year. “I think it’s a sign of an improving economy overall,” said Joe Harris, a port authority spokesman.