PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Governor Ralph Northam on Tuesday announced the Port of Virginia's $320 million expansion at the Virginia International Gateway container terminal is complete.
The newly expanded port can now increase cargo and container capacity at its two major terminals by 40 percent.
“The completion of the VIG expansion enables the Port to move cargo more safely, efficiently, and sustainably than ever before, and cements Virginia’s status as home to a world-class port,” said Governor Northam. “That reputation will help drive economic investment and job creation across the Commonwealth.”
The project consisted of an 800-foot expansion of the berth at VIG will allow the terminal to serve as many as three Ultra-Large Container Vessels (ULCVs) simultaneously. VIG now boasts 26 new rail-mounted gantry cranes as well, which support 13 new container stacks, creating more room to stack and sort containers.
In January, the port received new 170-foot-tall ship-to-shore cranes. These cranes are the largest on the U.S. East Coast and will be able to service container vessels, regardless of their size, for decades to come.
“Today we celebrate a major milestone in the most ambitious construction project ever undertaken at The Port of Virginia,” said Virginia Port Authority CEO and Executive Director John Reinhart. “Construction at Virginia International Gateway is complete. Thanks in large part to the Administration and the General Assembly, we’ve made the investments that our customers have asked for, and we are ready for peak season – and beyond. We are excited about taking this next step on a path to sustainability and success that will help drive job creation and investments across the Commonwealth.”
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