NEW YORK-NEW JERSEY PORT AUTHORITY PLANS TO EXPAND HOWLAND HOOK

NEW YORK-NEW JERSEY PORT AUTHORITY PLANS TO EXPAND HOWLAND HOOK    The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Monday announced a $350-million plan to expand the wharf and rail capabilities at the 187-acre Howland Hook Marine Terminal.
   The port authority will expand the Howland Hook wharf by about 500 linear feet — 300 feet at the north side of the current berth and 200 feet to the south. The expanded wharf will total 3,000 feet and be capable of handling up to four 725-foot cargo ships simultaneously.
   The wharf project also calls for strengthening a 945-fot portion of the existing wharf to allow for future berth deepening up to 50 feet to accommodate larger vessels and support the weight of four new electric post-Panamax cranes planned for the terminal.
   The port authority has already awarded a $35-million contract to expand and strengthen the terminal's existing wharf and install crane rail systems.
   In addition, construction will begin in November on a rail link between Howland Hook and the rail systems of Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation, the first direct rail connection to the Staten Island terminal.
   Cargo bound from Howland Hook will be carried on existing Staten Island Railroad tracks across the Arthur Kill. Freight trains will then follow a link to be constructed in Elizabeth, N.J. that will join the Chemical Coast Line, a major freight line used by NS and CSX.
The port authority will also build a new ship-to-rail transfer terminal at Howland Hook on the former Procter and Gamble property purchased by the port authority in 2000. Construction will begin in 2003 and be completed by the end of 2004.