Port of Tacoma passes 2 million TEUs landmark

Port of Tacoma passes 2 million TEUs landmark    The port of Tacoma passed the 2-million-TEU barrier for the first time in 2005.
   The Washington state port handled 2.07 million TEUs in 2005, up 15 percent from 1.8 million in 2004. International TEUs rose 20.3 percent while the port’s domestic throughput improved 1.3 percent.
   Intermodal rail lifts grew 29.4 percent to a best-ever 633,620.
   Total tonnage in 2005 was up 8.3 percent to a record 20.4 million short tons.
   The port predicts that its box volume will increase 16 percent to 2.4 million TEUs in 2006. “Each of our container terminals either has options to expand or is in the process of expansion,” said Timothy J. Farrell, the port of Tacoma’s executive director.
   The port has a five-year, $434 million capital improvement program.
   “As our container volume grows and we look to develop new maritime terminals, it is essential that our inland transportation infrastructure continues to offer our customers the capacity to meet their needs,” Farrell said.