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The Port of Portland, Ore., recently contracted Tapani Underground Inc. to construct 1.4 miles of track that will connect an intermodal yard with BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad mainlines.

The $2 million contract is the second approved for a project under which the port will increase intermodal capacity its Terminal 6 (T-6) container facility. In September, the port contracted BNSF to upgrade switching and other tracks at two yards near T-6. The entire project is scheduled to be completed in July 2007.

The connecting track will speed arrival and departure times at the terminal by enabling container unit trains to bypass switching operations and avoid bottlenecks between the port’s intermodal yard and Class Is’ mainlines, the port said.

“Because Portland has a relatively small local containerized import market, developing T-6 into an intermodal gateway for containers is an essential component of the port’s strategy to attract and retain container services,“ said Port Marine Director Sam Ruda in a prepared statement.