Booming NY/NJ looks to future

The dollar value of all cargo moving through the port exceeded US$149bn, up 13% from the 2005 total of US$132bn. The number of loaded and empty teu handled was up 6.4% from 2005, and exceeded 5m for the first time.

The top five containerised import commodities by volume were furniture, paper and paperboard, beer and ale, general cargo and clothing. ExpressRail, the Port Authority’s on-dock rail terminals in New Jersey, also set a new record for the year, handling 338,882 containers, 11.8% more than in 2005.

Robust growth projections have prompted the Port Authority to plan nearly US$2bn in infrastructure upgrades for marine terminal facilities and for off-port roads and railways over the next ten years. In addition to a 50 ft harbour deepening project and new ExpressRail on-dock rail facilities, the budget includes funds to upgrade North Avenue in Elizabeth and to improve the capacity of Port and Corbin Streets, two major thoroughfares at the port.