Northern California barges hope to take freight from trucks

US FEDERAL, state and local officials have launched a US$30 million "marine highway" project at inland Stockton, California, in the hope of shifting freight to barge from trucks in response to environmental concerns.

The Port of Oakland currently handles nearly 100 per cent of cargo packed into marine shipping containers that move through northern California.

Under the marine highway concept, trucks would deliver and receive cargo containers at the ports of Stockton and West Sacramento, and barges (each carrying more than 300 truckloads of containers) would shuttle between Oakland and the inland ports, reports the Stockton Record.

Under the terms of the federal grant, the project has to be completed by February 2012.

David Matsuda, head of the US Maritime Administration, was quoted as saying, "Not only will this project ultimately reduce air emissions from trucks on Interstate 580, it will also create new alternatives throughout northern California to transport exports to the Far East."

The opening ceremony was said to have marked the release of federal funds to make port upgrades and buy new equipment, including $13 million for the construction of a container staging area at the Port of Stockton, rail line extensions, and the purchase of two cranes and a barge to support the service; $8.5 million to build a distribution and repackaging centre, and purchase a crane for operations in West Sacramento and $8.5 million to provide electrical supplies for cold-ironing at berths at the Port of Oakland.

Steve Herum, chairman of the Stockton Port Commission, said the project opens a whole new line of business for the port, which currently handles only bulk cargo, such as grain, cement, steel, sulphur and fertiliser. "It's going to change how the port does business," he said.

Source: SchedNet