Virginia port gets funds for Craney Island

Virginia port gets funds for Craney Island

Bridges

   The Virginia Port Authority said President Obama’s proposed 2010 budget includes $28.5 million for construction of a fourth state-owned marine terminal at Craney Island.
   'We are grateful to the White House for its consideration of this important project and an equal amount of gratitude goes to Sen. Mark Warner for his leadership on the development of Craney Island,' said Jerry A. Bridges, the port authority's executive director.
   Jeff Keever, VPA's deputy executive director, said it is too early to say specifically where the money would be spent.
   “We plan to push forward on construction and this is a good start,' Keever said. 'The engineering work is ongoing and as soon as that ready, we will go to work.'
   The VPA said construction of the $2.2 billion project over a 20 to 25-year period would result in a 600-acre complex encompassing 8,400 linear feet of berth space, 20 Suez-class cranes and an on-terminal intermodal container transfer facility. Upon completion it would have capacity for at least 2.5 million TEUs.
   Work on the first phase is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2011 and finish in 2019 or 2020. The first phase includes 220 acres of container yard, 3,000 linear feet of berth space, eight cranes and the ICTF.