Wilmington prepares for major expansion

Crane fabrication for the expansion project is on schedule, with all four of the cranes 75% complete at the end of August. Delivery is scheduled for February 2007 and the cranes will be up and running by the end of March, according to planners.

On the docks at Wilmington, work continues in preparation for the cranes’ arrival. Dock reinforcement is complete for more than half of the 450 ft of rail on which they will travel along the dock. Other upgrades to the container berths include fenders and bollards.

The massive electrical system for the cranes, which unlike the present diesel/electric models run solely on electricity, involves construction and installation of a new sub-station, and work on this is also running on schedule.