Port of Virginia Blog

Port Ends ’11 with Growth in All Core Business Areas

Norfolk – The Virginia Port Authority wrapped up calendar year 2011 with a 1.2 percent increase in cargo volume, surpassing the mark set in 2010 by 23,011 TEUs; the VPA completed the year having handled 1,918,029 TEUs.

"We posted growth in all core areas including container volume, in our rail, breakbulk and auto operations and at VIP (Virginia Inland Port)," said Jerry A. Bridges, the VPA executive director. "What should be taken into account is that we grew in spite of a weak economy and some larger trade issues that we had absolutely no control over that an adverse impact on our volumes.

“Posting positive numbers under those conditions tells me that 2012 is going to be different: The economy continues to inch forward, there is considerable interest in the Richmond barge service, CSX has started its on-dock rail operation, both NS and CSX have expanded their rail reach from our port and we have multiple port users that are coming on-line in the later part of this year. An important development is the fact that we have had very productive discussions with some ocean carriers that are considering a change in their East Coast port rotations in order to take advantage of our deep water.”

The year-end trade balance average for 2011 was 59 percent exports and 41 percent imports. The breakdown totals for the core areas of business is as follows:

• Export TEUs: 2011 = 1,032,136 / 2010 = 1,005,370
• Import TEUs: 2011 = 885,893 / 2010 = 889,648
• Rail Containers: 2011 = 330,330 / 2010 = 261,399
• VIP Containers: 2011 = 34,105 / 2010 = 30,414
• Breakbulk Tonnage: 2011 = 347,558 / 2010 = 253,854
• Ship Calls: 2011 = 1,828 / 2010 = 1,841
• Vehicle Units (cars): 2011 = 31,147 / 2010 = 22,948

Calendar year TEU totals by month, 2011 vs. 2010:

• December 2011 = 154,300
• December 2010 = 138,452
• November 2011 = 163,945
• November 2010 = 163,211
• October 2011 =172,776
• October 2010 = 175,518
• September 2011 = 164,050
• September 2010 = 153,006
• August 2011 = 151,980
• August 2010 = 175,122
• July 2011 = 167,076
• July 2010 = 153,944
• June 2011 = 151,448
• June 2010 = 160,701
• May 2011 = 158,538
• May 2010 = 161,535
• April 2011 = 167,157
• April 2010 = 147,119
• March 2011 = 159,753
• March 2010 = 167,262
• February 2011 = 153,646
• February 2010 = 155,049
• January 2011 = 159,265
• January 2010 = 144,097

“A Region United” Details Freight Movement, Economic Significance

Norfolk – The Freight Transportation Advisory Committee (FTAC) has created a short video explaining the importance of developing efficient transportation systems to move freight in and out of Hampton Roads in order benefit the economies of the region, state and the nation.

The FTAC is a subcommittee of the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization. The Committee's mission is to advocate on behalf of the movement of freight in the region. Its members include representatives from Newport News Shipbuilding, Norfolk Southern, Givens Logistics, K-Line America, The CrossGlobe Group and the Virginia Maritime Association.

The YouTube video, entitled "A Region United," can be seen by going to The Port of Virginia's YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/portofvirginia?feature=guide. Or users can search YouTube under "A Region United."

CSX to Begin its On-Dock Service at APMT on Jan. 3, 2012

Norfolk -- CSX Transportation will begin the start of on-dock rail services at the Virginia Port Authority's APM Terminal in Portsmouth on Jan. 3, 2012.

With the conversion to on-dock rail service at APMT, customers will have the service that has been offered via drayage, but CSX will now use a rail connection with the Commonwealth Railway in Suffolk to access APMT. The new on-dock rail service builds upon the railroad's National Gateway initiative to improve connectivity and efficiency between US East Coast ports and the Midwest.

As transition to this improved service connection, note the following:

• Customers with rail traffic originating at or destined to APMT should continue to rail bill their shipments as 'Portsmouth APMT'.
• Existing CSX rates for Portsmouth APMT will still apply after the service is converted to rail.
• All traffic en route at the time of the service conversion will be monitored closely and transferred by dray to APMT if it arrives at the CSX Portsmouth local ramp.

CSX will continue to provide rail service at the CSX Portsmouth ramp as well as drayage service between Norfolk International Terminal (NIT) and Portsmouth ramp in coordination with Virginia International Terminals.

Federal Government Continues its Commitment to Craney Island Project

Washington, DC – The federal government's commitment to the eastward expansion of Craney Island continues as $26.8 million has been included for the project in a new federal spending package, which is awaiting the President's signature.

"This is the third consecutive year that the project has been supported by the federal government and I think that is a sign of the commitment to the project," said Jeff Keever, senior deputy executive director of the Virginia Port Authority. "We would not be in this position if it weren't for the work of our senators and the Congressional delegation."

U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Jim Webb requested the appropriation in the spending legislation Congress approved for the 2012 fiscal year.

In a joint statement Webb and Warner said the expansion is expected to generate more than 1,100 immediate jobs now and 54,000 after construction. Officials anticipate the expansion to be complete in 2020.

Craney Island is the site of the fourth state-owned marine cargo terminal. But before any surface construction begins, the VPA must first expand the island by 600 acres to provide a site suitable for construction of a marine terminal. The terminal will be built in phases and the first phase is the 600-acre expansion.

In December 2010 work began on the first stage of developing the cross dikes. The work consists of dredging 1.2 million cubic yards of sand from the Atlantic Ocean Channel and building the initial sand lifts required to construct two cross dikes.

The total cost of the eastward expansion is $700 million and that will be done through a 50-50 cost-share agreement with the federal government. The projected cost for completion of multi-phase terminal project is $2.2 billion.

"We think that by this time next year we should begin seeing the outline of the project – the eastward expansion – breaking the waterline," Keever said. "This is when the project will become real for a lot of people because they'll actually be able to see it; right now all the work is being done below the surface."

Above: An rendering of the completed Craney Island Marine Terminal.

New Intermodal Ramp Will Give Port Greater Access to Tri-State Market

Washington, DC -- The U.S Department of Transportation yesterday announced the West Virginia Ports Authority will receive a $12 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery III (TIGER III) grant from the to help fund construction of a long-planned intermodal terminal along Norfolk Southern Railway's Heartland Corridor near Prichard, WVA.

In 2010, the port authority delayed development of the facility because of the soft economy and a lack of private developer interest in the terminal. Now, construction is slated to start next year. The facility will provide industries in the tri-state area of West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio more modern and efficient freight container service and enhanced access to international rail lines.

The terminal is part of NS' Heartland Corridor, a double-stack intermodal route between The Port of Virginia and Chicago that opened the corridor in September 2010. The development of this intermodal site will give The Port of Virginia greater access to customers in the tri-state area, officials from the Virginia Port Authority said.

Rubbermaid Expanding Operations, Building DC Near Inland Port

Richmond – Governor Bob McDonnell has announced that Rubbermaid Commercial Products will invest $67.25 million to expand operations in the City of Winchester and establish a distribution operation in Frederick County.

The company, best known for its commercial cleaning, materials management, washroom and foodservice products, will add a total of 71 new jobs. In Winchester, Rubbermaid is investing in high-technology, energy-efficient injection molding machines to upgrade the facility's production capability. In Frederick County, the company will retrofit an existing 454,000-square-foot facility into a state-of-the-art logistics center.

"Rubbermaid Commercial Products has been in operation in Winchester since 1968, and I am pleased that the company will now establish a distribution center in nearby Frederick County," McDonnell said. "This significant investment is a logistics strategy that will streamline the manufacture and distribution of the products."

"Proximity to the Virginia Inland Port and the Port of Virginia gives the company direct access to its international and domestic customers, and is an advantage that sets the Commonwealth apart from its competition," said Jim Cheng, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade. "In addition, the availability of an existing facility in Frederick County, located near the company's operation in Winchester, was attractive to Rubbermaid to retrofit for its new logistics center."

Rubbermaid Commercial Products, headquartered in Winchester, is a manufacturer of products in the food services, sanitary maintenance, waste handling, material transport, away-from-home and washroom and safety products for commercial and institutional markets worldwide.

New CSX Rail Service Links Port with NW Ohio

Norfolk – CSXT announced today (Oct. 7) that it is offering international container service that will link The Port of Virginia to the railroad's intermodal ramp in Northwest, Ohio; the service begins Oct. 10.

This development will connect customers using The Port of Virginia to the markets of Findlay and Toledo, Ohio as well as Ft. Wayne, IN. In those three markets combined, there are several manufacturers. The service is seen as another asset that helps the port expand its reach into the nation.

The Northwest Ohio ramp will have service to/from the following locations: Chicago, 59th Street, Portsmouth and at APM Terminals beginning in the first quarter of 2012.

New Rail Service Expands Port’s Reach into the Southeast

 

Norfolk – A new double-stack rail service that expands The Port of Virginia's reach into central North Carolina, an important and growing Southeastern market, will be inaugurated in mid-October, port and railroad officials confirmed recently.

"Many North Carolina-based cargo owners have expressed a very genuine interest in this service because of the economics of bringing their cargo through our port and into this market by rail," said Jerry A. Bridges, the VPA's executive director. "This service diversifies and enhances our reach into what we see as an area with a lot of potential."

The six-day-a-week service is owned and operated by Norfolk Southern. It will serve Greensboro with a focus on the textile, furniture, retail, chemical and agriculture industries; the city is considered a load center for imports and exports of those cargoes in central North Carolina. The service is already supported by two ocean carriers that have committed to its use and it is generating interest from other carriers as well.

Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point compose central North Carolina's Piedmont Triad and in that region there are an estimated 1.6 million people. Greensboro is the largest of the three cities; interstates 40 and 85 intersect just outside the city.

Bridges said he sees an opportunity for Virginia to test the "big-ship, big-reach theory." As the frequency of big vessels calling Virginia increases, the amount of cargo moving across the port will grow as well and much of that cargo, Bridges said, will be heading to new markets.

"The rail extends from Greensboro to Charlotte on down to Atlanta and over to Memphis so the infrastructure to reach into the South is there; this service is a good start and we're going to capitalize on it," he said.

Other advantages of this service include:

• Provides cargo owners an alternative to the truck market out of ports in South Carolina and Georgia;
• Seven-day-a-week container availability at the Greensboro rail ramp with 24-hour-a-day availability Monday through Friday as well as weekend limited hours of service;
• Faster truck turn times that will help maximize truckers' driving time under Hours-of-Service rules;
• The possibility of multiple truck turns per day at the ramp because of its proximity to cargo owners versus longer dray moves to, or fewer turns at a port;
• The container yard adjacent to the ramp offers the ability to terminate and dispatch equipment, thereby facilitating one-way moves, matchbacks and empty container storage;
• Neutral chassis pool (HRCP2) on-site;
• A 63 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions when compared with trucks; and
• The lowest environmental impact when compared to moving cargo via other major Southeast ports.

Train schedules are available at: http://www.nscorp.com/nscintermodal/Intermodal/System_Info/Terminals/norfolk.html

CNBC Ranks Virginia as Nation’s Top State for Business

Mount Vernon – Virginia has been named America's "Top State for Business" by CNBC. The Commonwealth took the top spot in the annual study, receiving the highest point total in the history of the rankings; finishing in the top-half of every category.

The No. 1 ranking comes on the heels of Virginia receiving the highest ranking of any state east of the Mississippi in the American Legislative Exchange Council's economic competitiveness ranking of the states, which was released last week.

"Our focus, from day one of this administration, has been to put in place the policies that will help private sector businesses create those jobs in the Commonwealth and get our economy back on track," said Gov. Bob McDonnell. "We've done that by keeping taxes low, getting government spending under control, having a strong Right to Work law, and making smart investments in transportation, economic development and higher education.

"We are telling the Virginia story to job-creators from Beijing to Boston and it is paying off. Chief executives and entrepreneurs have responded to our efforts and found that Virginia is a great place to start and grow a business."

In its official release announcing the top ranking, CNBC noted, "With an unprecedented fiscal crisis at the state level, never has it been tougher to stay competitive. But Virginia met the challenge on every level, achieving the highest point total in the history of our study, and finishing in the top half of every category."

To determine the rankings for America's Top States for Business each state was scored - using publicly available data - on 43 different measures of competitiveness. States received points based on their rankings in each metric, which were then separated into 10 broad categories: Cost of Doing Business, Workforce, Quality of Life, Economy, Infrastructure and Transportation, Technology and Innovation, Education, Business Friendliness, Access to Capital and Cost of Living.

Virginia has been reducing spending, investing in job creating programs, improving workforce development programs, and selling Virginia around the world, said Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, whose main charge in the administration is creating jobs. "This ranking is proof that our efforts are paying off."

To see the complete CNBC report go to: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000030355.

McDonnell to Sign 3 Bills Enhancing Port’s Competitive Stance

Norfolk – Governor Bob McDonnell will be at APM terminals on Monday to sign legislation designed to encourage growth at The Port of Virginia by providing tax incentives for certain port users.

Moreover, the three bills put the port on a more competitive footing with other US East Coast ports that have historically provided incentives to attract port users. The bills provide tax credits for users of the port based on increased cargo volumes, job creation and use of the port's barge and rail services.

The bills are:

SB1481 – Volume increase tax credit

This bill provides a tax credit for any company engaged in the manufacturing or distribution of manufactured goods that increases its cargo moving through the port by 5 percent in a taxable year.

SB1136 – International trade facility tax credit

This bill provides a $3,000 tax credit for each job created by a company involved in the import and export of goods through the Port of Virginia that increases its cargo moving through the port by at least 10 percent in a given year.

SB1282 – State barge and rail usage tax credit

This bill grants a $50 per container income tax credit for any company shipping cargo containers via barge or rail.

"This legislation is critical to the port because it helps to level the playing field when you compare Virginia with the other East Coast ports," said J.J. Keever, the Virginia Port Authority's deputy executive director. "In the past, Virginia has offered very little in the way of tax incentives while other states offered considerable incentive packages.

"The competition to attract new port users or to encourage existing customers to increase volumes is greater than ever. So, you have to do those things that enhance your opportunities and these bills do just that."

The signing ceremony will be on Monday, June 20, from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at APM Terminals, 1000 APM Terminals Blvd., Portsmouth, 23703.

For more information contact Andrew T. Lamar, legislative liaison to the governor, at 804-225-4805 or 804-385-4457. He can also be reached by email at andrew.lamar@governor.virginia.gov.

CSX Investing $160M to Improve Double-Stack Capability; Virginia Will Benefit

Jacksonville, FL -- CSX announced this week (May 18) that it will invest $160 million over the next several years to improve its ability to move freight from The Port of Virginia to the Midwest.

The improvements made during the next several years will complete CSX's $860 million National Gateway project, an important double-stack rail initiative designed to create a more efficient freight transportation link between the mid-Atlantic ports and the Midwest.

"The National Gateway, with its improvements to the Virginia Avenue Tunnel, Kilby Yard and along the I-95 rail corridor, will open new business opportunities for The Port of Virginia and position the Commonwealth to be even more competitive in the global economy," said Sean T. Connaughton, Virginia's secretary of transportation. "The improvements on this corridor will also help address highway congestion and complement Virginia's passenger rail initiatives."  

Most of the $160 million investment announced this week will expand and improve the century-old Virginia Avenue Tunnel in Washington, DC, and provide double-stack train clearances in Maryland, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

"Through the National Gateway, CSX and its public partners are working together to vastly improve the quality and flexibility of the eastern rail network," said Michael J. Ward, CSX chairman, president and chief executive officer.

Total project costs are approximately $850 million, and state and federal partners are investing more than $280 million National Gateway. 

The project will move more of CSX's customers' freight on double-stack trains between the Midwest and the Ports of Virginia, Baltimore, and Wilmington, NC. This will be especially important as the Panama Canal expansion brings more traffic through these ports.

The National Gateway project will clear 61 obstructions and build or expand six intermodal facilities along CSX's network in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and the District of Columbia that together make up the National Gateway.

State’s Congressional Delegation Secures $27M for Craney Island in President’s Budget

Norfolk -- Virginia's congressional delegation, led by Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner, has helped secure $27.4 million in the President's proposed 2012 budget for the eastward expansion of Craney Island.

"We are grateful to the White House for its continued consideration of this important project and an equal amount of gratitude goes to both of our senators for shepherding through this budget request," said Jeff Keever, the Virginia Port Authority's (VPA) senior deputy executive director. "It is clear that those representing the Commonwealth's interests in Washington, DC, understand the long-term economic benefits of the eastward expansion to this state and the nation. This is another important step forward."

Support for the project's inclusion in the President's budget also came from Reps. Bobby Scott, Randy Forbes, Robert Wittman and former Rep. Glenn Nye.

"When you look at the dynamic growth in (Eastern Asia) and the expansion of the Panama Canal, you're going to see a lot more of that economy coming to the East Coast of the United States, and this is the place for import and export," said Sen. Webb, during a briefing by the VPA in January.

Last November, the VPA announced that construction to prepare the site on the (Elizabeth) river floor for a system of containment dikes would begin in December.

Warner attended the announcement and at the time pledged to work to have funding for the project included in the president's budget. Since his days as Virginia's governor, Warner has supported the eastward expansion. In 2010, through the backing of Webb and Warner, the eastward expansion received $100,000 from the federal government.

"That appropriation was a beginning and it was significant because the project made the budget, so the flow of federal money has started," Warner said. "This is a project of vital economic significance on multiple levels: job creation, increased revenues, increased competitiveness in the global marketplace and billions in national economic development benefits. It is for those reasons that I'm going to continue to push for federal support."

A study conducted in 2005 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the long-term benefit of building Craney Island Marine Terminal would be savings of $6 billion that would not have to be invested by the federal government in other large transportation infrastructure projects. The study says the project would generate 54,000 jobs with wages of $1.7 billion and local tax revenues of $155 million over a 20-to-25-year period.

The eastward expansion project is the first step in construction of a new state-owned cargo terminal. The first phase is the eastward expansion and this entails building a 600-acre plot of land off the east side of Craney Island. When complete, the land will give the VPA the ability to expand cargo capacity as needed. Many see that capacity being needed following the completion of the widening of the Panama Canal, a major trade lane to Virginia.

Additionally, the expansion of Craney Island prolongs its life as a dredge-material deposit area. The new terminal will sit upon material dredged from the Hampton Roads Harbor and reused in the project.

Work on the eastward expansion is underway. In December, crews began depositing dredge material on the bottom of the site in preparation for construction of a foundation for a series of containment dikes.

Construction of the Craney Island Marine Terminal is a $2.2 billion multiphase project that will result in the newest, most modern marine terminal in the United States: a 600-acre complex encompassing 8,400 linear feet of berth space, 20 Suez-class cranes and an on-terminal intermodal container transfer facility served by both CSX and Norfolk Southern. The marine terminal will be built in three phases over the next 20-25 years and upon completion have capacity for at least 2.5 million TEUs.

GMU Study: Mega Projects Would Expand State’s Economy, Build Jobs

Richmond — Virginia's economy would expand by $4.1 billion and support 56,798 additional jobs if 16 infrastructure mega-projects being considered by the Virginia Department of Transportation are completed, according to research done by George Mason University.

The study calculated the post-construction impact of the proposed projects to the economy of the Commonwealth, including the gross state product, workers' personal earnings and job creation. Benefits generated by the projects would exceed costs and would generate an additional $2.9 billion in new taxable earnings to Virginia's income base. The research was conducted by GMU School of Public Policy Professor Stephen S. Fuller, who is also the director of the university's Center for Regional Analysis.

"We have proposed the single-largest investment in our transportation system in a generation," said Gov. Bob McDonnell of his $4 billion proposal to jump-start 900 state transportation projects. "This report recognizes that these types of investments not only impact our quality of life, reduce congestion and make Virginia more attractive to businesses looking to grow in the Commonwealth, but they have a direct impact on our economy and support job growth in these times when Virginia needs it most."

The 16 projects studied would be funded under Virginia's Public-Private Transportation Act, which allows private entities to enter into agreements to build, improve, maintain and operate transportation facilities.

The proposed projects, encompassing bridge, tunnel and corridor improvements throughout the Commonwealth are: Route 495 HOT Lanes; I-95/I-395 HOT Lanes; Norfolk/Portsmouth Downtown /Midtown Tunnel; Coalfields Expressway; I-64 Richmond to Hampton Roads; Hampton Roads Patriot Crossing; Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel; Route 460 Corridor Improvements; I-66 HOT Lanes; Southeast Parkway & Greenbelt; Route 17 – Dominion Boulevard; Route 895 – Airport Connector; Route 58; Route 81; Route 73; and Route 28                

"Moving these projects forward now becomes an even greater priority when we see the tremendous ripple-effect they would have on job creation and economic expansion," said Sean T. Connaughton, state secretary of transportation. "Making sound investments in transportation infrastructure will improve the daily lives of Virginia's citizens and this data proves that those investments would also impact the economy of the Commonwealth in a number of positive ways."

The full report, The Impact of Sixteen Proposed PPTA Mega Projects on the Commonwealth of Virginia Economy, is available online at: http://policy-cra.gmu.edu/current-indicators/Impact%20of%20PPTA%20Mega%20Projects%20on%20the%20Virginia%20Economy.pdf

Information on the study can be found here: http://news.gmu.edu/articles/5315.

New Cranes in the Final Stage of Voyage; Scheduled to Arrive 2/8

 

Norfolk – The Virginia Port Authority is anticipating the arrival of two new Post-Panamax-class cranes in early February that upon arrival in the Hampton Roads Harbor are destined for APM Terminals, the VPA-leased facility in Portsmouth.

The cranes are in the final stage of a 41-day-long voyage from China to Virginia and scheduled to arrive in the harbor on Feb. 8. (The arrival schedule is subject to change depending on the weather and other factors that could create a delay.) The cranes will arrive in the harbor fully assembled, rigged and mounted atop the vessel transporting them, named Zhenhua 24.

Shortly after the arrival, the vessel will be berthed at APM Terminals and the off-loading process will begin. The off-loading is expected to take seven days and the cranes should be operational by March 1.

The cranes are made by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (ZPMC), the world's leading manufacturer of large port gantry cranes. The company is headquartered in Shanghai and has production eight bases spread among Shanghai, Jiangyin and Nantong.

A little about the cranes coming to The Port of Virginia:

• Height: 259 feet
• Total lifting height: 190 feet
• Outreach: 213 feet
• Overall length of boom, back-to-front: 489 feet
• Width: 88 feet
• Weight, per unit: 1650 Tons
• Lift capacity: 41 tons

Pictured: The location of the Zhenhua 24 as of Jan. 28. 

Work on Dike Foundations for Craney Island Underway

 

Norfolk – The beginning phase of work on the eastward expansion of Craney Island is underway as the spill barge, pictured above, is in position and spreading dredge material to develop the outline for the dike system needed to support the expansion.

The spill barge takes dredge material and distributes it evenly – much like a sprinkler -- along what will be the foundation footprint for the project's dike system. To complete the work, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock designed and built the spill barge, a unique piece of equipment that allows layers of sand to be evenly deposited on the river floor. Over the next four to five months, the work done by the spill barge will raise the floor of the Elizabeth River in the area of the work.

The dredge material used in this phase of construction is being taken from the Atlantic Ocean Channel maintenance dredging and brought to the worksite. The Liberty Island hopper dredge, which can carry more than 5,000 cubic yards of material, dredges sand from the Atlantic Ocean Channel and brings it to Craney Island. Normally, the material from the maintenance dredging and other similar projects would be deposited on Craney Island, but the eastward expansion project will recycle material for use in construction.

In September 2010 the Virginia Port Authority awarded that first construction job for the eastward expansion was awarded to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co.; in December the company began its work on the first stage of the south and division cross dikes. The work consists of dredging 1.2 million cubic yards of sand from the Atlantic Ocean Channel and building the initial sand lifts required to construct both the south and division cross dikes.

The eastward expansion is the first step in the construction of Craney Island Marine Terminal, which will be the fourth state-owned, deepwater marine cargo terminal. The terminal will be built in phases and the first phase is building the 600-acre site on which the terminal will sit.

"Building the land, so to speak, is the most demanding part of this project," said Jerry A. Bridges, the VPA's executive director. "We have to get the site ready so when the demand hits, we can begin ordering cranes and pouring concrete for the terminal, which comparatively, are the easy parts."

Last September the VPA awarded two contracts worth a combined $30.9 million for this phase of work. The total cost to complete the 600-acre site is $700 million and that will be done through a 50-50 cost-share agreement with the federal government. The projected cost for completion of multi-phase terminal project is $2.2 billion.