Construction Begins on New Jersey Intermodal Terminal
Construction has begun on an intermodal terminal at the Global Container Terminals in Bayonne, New Jersey, to connect on-site to CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads and to offer an alternative that could result in fewer containers being placed on trucks.
The Dec. 19 groundbreaking ceremony launched the construction of the Greenville Yard, a project that follows the renovation of the terminal itself.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey allocated $600 million to add on-site intermodal rail yards at the terminals, including a $56 million investment at Global Container Terminals, according to a December press release. The intermodal yard will eliminate 375,000 trucks per year from crowded highways and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 18,300 tons annually, the port wrote in a statement.
Every container lifted to a railcar displaces the need for 1.5 truck trips, and the emissions reductions resulting from the switch to rail from truck are expected to total 415 tons of nitrogen oxides and 108 tons of particulate matter, the port added.
“As the port business continues to grow with the arrival of new lower-emissions, larger ships, it’s critical that we invest in projects to deal with the increase in cargo in a sustainable way, maintaining our quality of life,” said Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye.
The intermodal yard, scheduled to be completed in mid-2018, will have an annual capacity of 250,000 container lifts, or 430,000 20-foot equivalent units, the port said.
