MANILA's International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI) dry port, Laguna Gateway Inland Container Terminal (LGICT), broke ground to start its expansion.
ICTSI Laguna dry port expands facilities to revive Filipino intermodalityMANILA's International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI) dry port, Laguna Gateway Inland Container Terminal (LGICT), broke ground to start its expansion.
New facilities will include extended and dedicated storage areas for loaded and empty containers, a runway for rubber tyre gantries (RTG), container care facilities, weigh bridges at the gates and an upgraded access road.
Laguna Gateway Inland Container Terminal Inc (LGICT) in Calamba City, 58 kilometres south of Manila, is a joint venture between ICTSI, Transnational Diversified Group and Nippon Container Terminals Co established in January.
ICTSI vice president Christian Gonzalez unveiled plans at the ground breaking ceremony to revive an existing railroad connection that will directly link LGICT to ICTSI's Manila International Container Terminal (MICT).
"It is a great aspiration that we have, not only to see this develop as an inland container terminal in today's form, but also as an inland container terminal connected by rail to the country's premier port in its future form," said Mr Gonzalez.
"Once everybody starts using LGICT, we can expect even better productivity levels at MICT," he said.The dry port's annual capacity of 250,000 TEU effectively increases MICT's capacity 10 per cent. LGICT will help lower MICT's import inventory, average import dwell time and laden yard use by offering storage to clients in southern Luzon, a statement from ICTSI said.
Initially, the newly opened Laguna dry port will have four hectares of container yard operational and reach stackers to haul containers.
Phase 1 civil works will add a fully developed 7.22 hectares of concrete pavement, an RTG runway, dedicated stacking areas for loaded and empty containers, a container cleaning and repair area, access road, weigh bridges and a guardhouse.
At full build-out, the dry port will have an area of 21 hectares and include reefer stands, truck parking, a fuel station, a rail shop and container freight stations.
For its heavy equipment fleet, on order are RTGs, side lifters, prime mover trucks and additional reach stackers.
