Port of West Sacramento gets funds for marine highway

The Port of West Sacramento announced that the US Department of Transportation (DOT) is awarding US$30 million to a partnership including the ports in West Sacramento, Oakland and Stockton to launch an inland marine highway service, reported Agriculture Week.

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's $1.5 billion Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) programme, the funds will be used to initiate a container barge service between the three ports as an alternative to existing truck and rail infrastructure. The ports expect the service to be used primarily for consumer goods and agricultural products grown in Central California and Northern California.

The partnership hopes to have service underway by the end of 2010.

The Port of West Sacramento will use a portion of the funding to construct a crane and other facilities needed for handling container cargo. Since its opening in 1963, the port has exported and imported only bulk cargo, such as agricultural projects and construction materials.

According to the grant application submitted by the three ports, the marine highway project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, relieve congestion on Northern California and Central California highways, and help reduce round-trip and overall truck miles travelled between distribution centres and port facilities in the area, with corresponding savings in fuel costs.

Source: Cargo News Asia