Oakland begins project to increase crane height

The $14 million project to raise the height of four cranes at the Port of Oakland’s Ocean International Container Terminal will allow the facility to work larger containerships.    The Port of Oakland has begun work on a project to raise the height of four ship-to-shore cranes at the Ocean International Container Terminal (OICT), according to a statement from the port.
   The cranes, currently at 366 feet, will be raised 27 feet over the next nine months, allowing them to reach containers stacked higher on the larger containerships expected to call the Northern California port.
   Port of Oakland is raising the cranes in partnership with SSA Marine, the operator of OICT. The cost of the project is estimated at about $14 million.
   The crane-raising project is part of an overall effort to strengthen Oakland’s competitiveness among West Coast ports. Other projects underway or expected to begin soon include:
     • Doubling the size of nearby TraPac marine terminal;
     • Constructing a 287,000-square foot Cool Port for refrigerated cargo transport;
     • And developing the first 27 acres of a Seaport Logistics Complex that will attract additional imports and exports.
   Technicians began the work last week, pulling the first 3 million-pound unit off its guide rails. In a delicate, 90-minute procedure, it was shuttled to the eastern edge of OICT’s Oakland Estuary dock. That’s where the actual crane-raising procedure will take place beginning next month.
   Over a 9-week period, engineers will brace the crane on supports, cut away its lower legs and affix extensions. They’ll then return the heightened crane to duty before withdrawing the next one for raising, likely in August, the port said.