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Raising the Bayonne Bridge’s navigational clearance to 215 feet has resulted in larger ships, record cargo volume and economic activity, said the Port of New York and New Jersey as it celebrated the first anniversary of the scheme’s completion on 7 June. The port authority said on 26
July that cargo traffic set a new record for the first half of 2018, with volumes up 6.8% over the same period in 2017, when the previous six-month record was established. Between January and June
this year, the port handled 3.45m teu, compared to 3.23m teu during the same period in 2017. The increase was fuelled by a 7.8% rise in loaded import containers, primarily carrying commodities such as furniture, appliances and beverages but export loaded containers also increased by 9.2%. The record volume has allowed the port to maintain its position as the busiest on the East Coast. The half-year figures followed
record growth in the first quarter of 2018, with import containers up by more than 10%, surpassing the US average of 7.2% and the East Coast average of 6.4%. The authority added that there had been “a dramatic increase in the size of ships calling on the port and additional new cargo services making the New York/ New Jersey port their first stop on the East Coast.” A primary factor driving the
cargo increase is last June’s completion of the $1.6 billion Bayonne Bridge Navigational Clearance Project, which raised the clearance capacity under the bridge from 151 feet to 215 feet,
allowing ships as
large as 18,000teu to pass underneath it, almost double the previous maximum vessel size of9,800teu. Currently, 9.1% of the port’s
cargo is carried on vessels that are 13,000teu or larger. Prior to the bridge raising, ships of this size were limited to terminals located outside the Newark and Elizabeth channels. Other factors driving the cargo volume growth are a strong and growing regional economy and growth in intermodal cargo. Since 8 June 2017, 107 vessels
of over 9,500teu have called at terminals in Newark, Elizabeth, Bayonne and Staten Island that
were previously inaccessible to such ships. Three new services that
previously didn’t call in New York and New Jersey at all are now serving the port, including one using 14,000teu vessels. In fact, raising the bridge
gives capacity for ships up to 18,000teu and to date the port has seen vessels as large as 14,414teu, the largest now calling on any East Coast ports. Port Authority executive
director Rick Cotton said: “The capabilities of the Port of New York and New Jersey have never been more vividly on display. These record-breaking numbers demonstrate the port’s strategic appeal to cargo shippers and distributors. Now, we must continue to move forward with all of our port stakeholders to meet the challenges that lie ahead to handle even greater volumes of cargo.” Port Authority port director
Molly Campbell said the authority was
“laser focused
on improving the port’s infrastructure and operations, which, coupled with the completion of the Bayonne Bridge project, are paying major dividends and providing a tremendous boost to our business. Our goal is to continue the momentum we’ve built and to show international shippers that our port is best equipped to handle their cargo.” During the first half of the year,
ExpressRail – the Port Authority’s ship-to-rail system serving New York and New Jersey marine terminals – also set a record pace for the year. During the first six months of 2018, ExpressRail handled 315,011 liſts, up 15% from the previous record in 2017, when 273,991 liſts were handled. The authority anticipates
that cargo transported by rail will continue to grow aſter its newest rail facility – ExpressRail Port Jersey – opens at the end of 2018. Once that facility opens, it will give the port the capacity to handle 1.5 million container liſts a year – and eliminate 2.25m annual truck trips from local highways – far greater capacity than any other East Coast port. The port also reported a 6.2%
increase in vehicles handled by auto processors serving the port – from 264,766 units in 2017 to 281,224 units in 2018. The increase is due in part to
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the Auto Incentive Program launched in 2014 to provide financial incentives to auto manufacturers who bring new or increased business to the port. Port Authority chairman
Kevin O’Toole said: “We knew this important infrastructure project would yield tangible results as soon as it was
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completed, and we’ve seen those predictions realized in the first year. The port already supports 400,000 jobs and $25.7 billion in personal income wages and we expect those numbers to grow as bigger ships and more cargo come here thanks to the benefits from this project.” Rick Cotton added: “The raising of the Bayonne Bridge
was an impressive engineering achievement that showcased the Port Authority’s ability to build great, challenging projects,” he said. “It cemented our port as the most attractive East Coast option for international shippers, and based on early returns, shippers agree and are bringing their cargo here in record volumes.” Molly Campbell commented:
“When the Bayonne Bridge project was completed a year ago, we said it would be a game
25
changer, and it’s already had a major impact on our business here. But with the successes we’ve seen, including record cargo and additional new services, come the challenges of moving that cargo from the docks to the consumer. Our job is to continue to enhance the ability of shippers to move cargo quickly and efficiently from the port to its final destination.” Major terminal
o p e r at o rs 26 >> GPA’S $128 MILLION MASON MEGA RAIL TERMINAL
2020
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