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Infrastructure Expansion: South Jersey, Everglades

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Holt Logistics Corp. has entered into a partnership with the South Jersey Port Corporation (SJPC) for the construction of a 190-acre marine terminal in Paulsboro (NJ). The Florida East Coast Railway on July 14 unveiled its state-of-the-art intermodal container transfer facility (ICTF) at Port Everglades.

South Jersey Port Corp and Holt Logistics Partner to Revitalize Paulsboro Port

Holt Logistics Corp. announced July 14 it had entered into a partnership with the South Jersey Port Corporation (SJPC) for the construction of a marine terminal in Paulsboro (NJ) at the site on the Delaware River of a former BP refinery.

The190-acre Paulsboro Marine Terminal will be the first new multi-purpose marine terminal to be constructed on the Delaware River in more than 30 years, and according to Holt, will create more than 850 permanent jobs when fully completed.

"The Delaware River really has become a rising tide that can create abundant opportunities for new cargo and business growth for the entire region," said Holt Logistics President Leo A. Holt. "Thanks to the leadership and vision of SJPC and Holt Logistics, the Paulsboro Marine Terminal will be a modern, multi-faceted facility that will greatly increase shipping capacity for a full range of commodities. The Delaware River port complex stretching from Wilmington to Trenton is known worldwide for safe and efficient handling of steel, forest products, project cargo, rolling stock and containers. World trade has rebounded and this region is one of the epicenters of a new phase of cargo opportunities for traditional and new commodities."

The redevelopment of the Paulsboro Marine Terminal is directly connected to the planned construction of the Holtec International manufacturing facility in Camden. As part of its agreement with the SJPC, Holt will relinquish a portion of the Pier 5 port facility at the Broadway Marine Terminal in Camden in exchange for the opportunity to energize the operation at Paulsboro, which has been vacant since the oil refinery was permanently shuttered more than a decade ago.

SJPC anticipates completion of a $170 million redevelopment of the Paulsboro terminal by next year. Holt will initially invest in excess of $10 million at the site, which represents the first phase of a private investment. As the facilities and surrounding industrial development areas reach their full potential, Holt anticipates further investment in the port facility.

The state of New Jersey issued several bonds totaling $170 million to fund land and infrastructure improvements to the Paulsboro site. The completed site will encompass 150 acres of waterfront land (with possible expansion to 190 acres), and 2,600 linear feet of berth, all of which have been raised above the flood plain to avert operational shutdowns caused by storms.Additional infrastructure improvements to the site include a dedicated bridge and off-ramp that connects directly to I-295, and approximately four miles of rail track.

"This is a great day for the people of Southern New Jersey," said Kevin Castagnola, executive director and CEO of the SJPC. "The Paulsboro Marine Terminal will be a modern jewel of the Delaware River, providing expanded capacity to complement existing marine terminal facilities. It will become a destination for an even wider array of international shipping products and other emerging industries."

Intermodal Container Transfer Facility Opens at Port Everglades

The Florida East Coast Railway, LLC (FEC) on July 14 unveiled its state-of-the-art Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF) at Port Everglades with a grand opening ceremony featuring a firsthand view of South Florida's new global gateway.

The 43-acre facility increases FEC’s available intermodal capacity from 100,000 to 450,000 lifts a year and will improve the transfer of both domestic and international containers between ships and rail. Currently, these containers must be drayed off-port to rail terminals such as the current 12-acre Andrews Avenue rail yard in Fort Lauderdale or to the Hialeah rail yard in Miami-Dade County.

The state of Florida contributed $18 million in grants to the $72 million project and awarded a $30 million state infrastructure bank loan to FEC.

The ICTF enables the FEC to build 9,000-foot unit trains within the facility without blocking any city streets, and allows cargo to move through Port Everglades to/from Atlanta and Charlotte in two days, and Nashville and Memphis in three days.

Additionally, having empty 53-foot domestic containers and trailers adjacent to the port provides more opportunities to trans-load import cargo from ocean containers to domestic containers for inland rail transport. This results in more domestic containers moving north as loads instead of empties, increasing the efficiency of the intermodal network.


Opening the Florida East Coast Railway’s (FEC) new freight facility at Port Everglades are, from left: Florida Rep. George Moraitis, Jr., Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief, FEC President and CEO Jim Hertwig, Port Everglades Chief Executive & Port Director Steven Cernak, and Florida Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary for Intermodal Systems Development Transportation Richard Biter.
Photo/Port Everglades

 

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