Port of Boston undergoes various upgrades

The Massachusetts Port Authority said the Conley Terminal will be upgraded with an additional berth and three new cranes, while the Boston Harbor will be dredged to accommodate 12,000-TEU vessels.    The Port of Boston will be undergoing various upgrades, made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s FASTLANE grant program, along with funding from the Economic Development Bill signed by Governor Charlie Baker.
   The Governor of Massachusetts website reported the $109.5 million authorized by the Economic Development Bill, signed by Gov. Baker Aug. 10, “permits the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) to pursue the reconstruction of South Boston’s Conley Terminal, including berth construction and crane procurement, to accommodate new, larger cargo ships.”
   Massport said the funding would go toward one new berth and three new cranes. A spokesperson from Massport told American Shipper the preliminary design on both the new berth and cranes has begun and the port authority is in discussions with crane manufacturers.
   In addition, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s FASTLANE grant program is designating $42 million towards Massport, which said it would use the grant to maintain and modernize Conley Terminal.
   “Conley Terminal has achieved back-to-back record breaking years for volume in fiscal years 2015 and 2016, including double digit growth on both the import and export side this year,” Massport said. “Following the opening of the expanded Panama Canal, Conley Terminal is now servicing vessels 40-60 percent larger on the Asia to East Coast trade.”
   The port authority announced plans to deepen Boston Harbor to accommodate larger vessels being deployed by ocean carriers. The first phase of dredging is scheduled to begin this fall. The Massport spokesperson said an 8,500-TEU ship can call the port with the assistance of its nine foot tidal swing, but following the completion of the dredging project, a 12,000-TEU ship will be able to call the port.
   The spokesperson added that investing in the Conley Terminal reduces the amount of goods that are trucked from New York, which lowers costs to consumers, improves air quality and eases highway congestion.
   “Boston Harbor is the economic engine for the entire New England region, and revitalizing the port will help it retain its world-class distinction,” said Senator Edward J. Markey, D-Mass. Over 1,600 businesses across New England use the Port of Boston for importing and exporting goods, according to Massport.
   “The effects of Conley Terminal stretch far beyond the city of Boston,” Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito added. “The port is a driving force for the economy of the entire commonwealth.”