Port of Virginia March volume up 9.8 percent

Port of Virginia March volume up 9.8 percent    The Port of Virginia said Monday that in March it posted its busiest month of 2006, handling 172,121 TEUs, a 9.8 percent increase over March 2005.
   March totals were 172,121 TEUs, and 46,409 tons of breakbulk cargo. For the first quarter, the port’s TEU total and breakbulk tonnage surpassed last year’s marks. The TEU count is up 9.7 percent and the breakbulk tonnage is up 12.3 percent when compared with the first quarter of 2005. The first quarter totals are 504,069 TEUS and 135,181 tons of breakbulk cargo.
   In March, the port’s Midwest rail volume was 21,551 containers and for the first quarter the rail volume was 61,245 containers. The first quarter rail numbers were 3.5 percent ahead of the 2005 mark.
   In the first quarter of 2006, the port had 572 ship calls in an 11.9 percent over the same quarter last year. Norfolk International Terminals’ first quarter TEU throughput is up 13.3 percent when compared with the same quarter last year. Portsmouth Marine Terminal was up 19.5 percent in March and 13.9 percent for the first quarter when compared with the same quarter last year. Newport News Marine breakbulk volume was up 15.8 percent over the same quarter last year.