THE Port of Boston's Paul W Conley container terminal handled a record annual 307,331 TEU, up eight per cent year on year, and marking five straight years of growth.
Within this total, imports were up 12 per cent compared with fiscal year 2018 to 152,960 TEU in advance of looming tariff hikes tied to the US-China trade spat, reported the American Journal of Transportation.
'We are proud of Conley's continued growth and success, which reflect the region's strong economy and Conley's high levels of productivity,' said Massachusetts Port Authority's (Massport) acting port director Mike Meyran.
Mr Meyran has replaced Lisa Wieland who was selected by the Massport board of directors as the authority's new CEO and executive director.
Massport is on track with building out berth 10 as well as ordering three new ship-to-shore cranes. The new berth and cranes are expected to begin operations by the end of 2020 and will support Conley terminal's ongoing growth, handling larger vessels transiting through both the Panama and Suez canals.
Improvements on the land side are also being made, including technology upgrades, a new reefer racking system, and new in-and-out gate facilities financed by a US$42 million federal FASTLANE grant.
Massport already took delivery of two new rubber-tyre gantry cranes (RTGs) in May. Two more are due to arrive this autumn in line with plans to have a fleet of 16 RTGs by 2020. A $75 million freight haul road was installed in autumn 2017 to provide trucks with easier access to interstate highways.
Another major infrastructure project launched in the last several years is the $350 million Boston harbour dredging project that is already 40 per cent complete, after the maintenance dredging of the inner harbour was wrapped up in December 2017. The deepening of the main ship channels is due for completion by the end of 2021.
WORLD SHIPPING
Within this total, imports were up 12 per cent compared with fiscal year 2018 to 152,960 TEU in advance of looming tariff hikes tied to the US-China trade spat, reported the American Journal of Transportation.
'We are proud of Conley's continued growth and success, which reflect the region's strong economy and Conley's high levels of productivity,' said Massachusetts Port Authority's (Massport) acting port director Mike Meyran.
Mr Meyran has replaced Lisa Wieland who was selected by the Massport board of directors as the authority's new CEO and executive director.
Massport is on track with building out berth 10 as well as ordering three new ship-to-shore cranes. The new berth and cranes are expected to begin operations by the end of 2020 and will support Conley terminal's ongoing growth, handling larger vessels transiting through both the Panama and Suez canals.
Improvements on the land side are also being made, including technology upgrades, a new reefer racking system, and new in-and-out gate facilities financed by a US$42 million federal FASTLANE grant.
Massport already took delivery of two new rubber-tyre gantry cranes (RTGs) in May. Two more are due to arrive this autumn in line with plans to have a fleet of 16 RTGs by 2020. A $75 million freight haul road was installed in autumn 2017 to provide trucks with easier access to interstate highways.
Another major infrastructure project launched in the last several years is the $350 million Boston harbour dredging project that is already 40 per cent complete, after the maintenance dredging of the inner harbour was wrapped up in December 2017. The deepening of the main ship channels is due for completion by the end of 2021.
WORLD SHIPPING