Port of Seattle, SSA Terminals Open Northwest's Largest Container Handling Complex

After more than two years of construction, officials of the Port of Seattle and SSA Terminals are celebrating the completion of the largest container handling complex in the Pacific Northwest. The grand opening of the $300 million expansion of Terminal 18 is scheduled for Wednesday, April 3.

At 196 acres, the expanded Terminal 18 is nearly twice its previous size. The expansion of the facility's on-dock intermodal rail yard, which can now simultaneously handle four doublestack container trains, makes it one of the most efficient terminals on the West Coast for moving import and export containers between the ship and inland points of origin and destination.

"This expansion project will help the Port and its customers compete more effectively now and in the future," said Port of Seattle Commission Chair Bob Edwards. "Maintaining our competitive edge is critical to preserving and growing the jobs and other economic benefits international maritime trade brings to this region."

"Terminal 18 is the second so-called 'megaterminal' in the harbor," said Port of Seattle CEO M.R. Dinsmore. "Combined with Terminal 5 in West Seattle, our Port now has the capacity to handle 2 to 2.5 million containers per year." In 2001 the Port saw 1.3 million containers cross its docks. "Making sure our customers have ample opportunity to grow is key to ensuring that our Port and our community remain a center for global maritime commerce," Dinsmore added.

"One of the primary motives behind this for SSA was our view that Terminal 18 was the last opportunity for a megaterminal in Seattle," said Frank Clark, Project Manager and Vice President of Stevedoring Services of America, one of the partners in SSA Terminals.

In addition to more acreage and a larger intermodal yard, the expanded terminal features a new truck access route, a new container equipment maintenance building, and additional refrigerated container storage capacity.

Planning for the terminal expansion project began in 1995, and the Port completed land acquisitions in 1997. Several dozen businesses were relocated and more than 100 buildings, including the former offices of SSA, were demolished to make way for new terminal facilities.

Some of those businesses left behind industrial contamination including refined oil products, metal working compounds, lead, zinc and PCBs. The expansion project included the removal of thousands of yards of contaminated soils, which were placed in an approved hazardous waste landfill.

"We take our stewardship of the environment very seriously," said Dinsmore. "Beyond the economic benefits this expansion brings to our region, it also gave us the means to clean up contaminants that might otherwise have remained in the environment for many years."

Some of the terminal improvements that enhance efficiency also have environmental benefits. The expanded intermodal rail yard, for instance, allows containers to be loaded on and off trains on the terminal, eliminating the need to truck them from the terminal to rail yards east of Highway 99. That means there are fewer trucks on the road and lower diesel emissions as a result.

A new overpass allows road traffic to enter and leave Harbor Island regardless of rail activity, cutting down on emissions while vehicles idle waiting for trains to pass.

Other traffic improvements the Port made on Harbor Island include new sidewalks, repaved roads, a pedestrian rail overpass, and parking lots for employees of other Harbor Island businesses. The Port also helped the city with utility upgrades throughout Harbor Island.

The final touch was a 1.5-acre public shoreline access park on the southwestern edge of Harbor Island. It includes open grassy areas, trees and other landscaping, benches and picnic tables, a bike path, a kayak and canoe launch site and steps leading to the water. Paved parking is on the south end of the park and access is via Klickitat Avenue SW.

Terminal 18 is leased and operated by SSA Terminals (SSAT), a partnership of Stevedoring Services of America (SSA) and Matson Navigation Company. SSA is a Seattle-based transportation services company with over 150 operating locations worldwide. Matson Navigation Company is a leading U.S. domestic ocean carrier based in San Francisco.

Container lines calling at Terminal 18 include: China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), China Shipping Container Line (CSCL), SSAV/Norasia, Hapag Lloyd, Matson Line, NYK Line, Orient Overseas Container Line, P&O Nedlloyd, Yang Ming Line and Zim Israel Navigation.