New container yard to serve Alliance intermodal ramp

New container yard to serve Alliance intermodal ramp Weir Bros. will develop a container storage yard on 81 acres of land near the inland port and logistics hub in Alliance, Texas, according to Hillwood Properties, which sold the company the land.      
   The Dallas-based construction firm said the yard will have room for more than 3,000 containers, taking pressure off the BNSF Railway intermodal transfer facility so it can handle more import container arrivals from the West Coast and operate more efficiently. BNSF expects to double its container volume at the Alliance hub during the next five years. BNSF moved 600,000 containers through the facility last year.
   Construction will begin in January and is expected to be completed in the second quarter, Weir Bros. said.
   Other companies are looking to take advantage of growing intermodal volumes at the BNSF ramp. Less-than-truckload carrier Con-way Freight is building a 40,000-foot cross-dock nearby. KFS Inc. is constructing a 140,000 square-foot freight forwarding facility and Hillwood is planning a 450,000-square foot speculative distribution facility.
   During the past three months, logistics companies Digisource, Metro Active and Trans-Trade have also announced expansions at the Alliance Global Logistics Hub to capture more Asian import business. IDC, an importer of outdoor lighting products made in China, has expanded its distribution center at the Alliance Global Logistics Hub by 130,000 square feet to handle a 40 percent increase in its business, Hillwood said.
   Hillwood Properties is a Perot-company and developer of the Alliance logistics park.