Washington state port's freight access project reaches halfway mark

Port of Vancouver USA Commission President Jerry Oliver recently highlighted the port's $275 million West Vancouver Freight Access project at an annual "Port Report" event held in Vancouver, Wash.

The ongoing project, which has reached the halfway mark, will help attract business to Vancouver, he said.

"This ambitious effort, which will improve our rail connections to all of North America, will serve this community for decades to come," said Oliver, according to a press release. "We've made great progress since breaking ground in 2008. We've constructed a state-of-the-industry loop track that allows us to handle unit trains that are more than 100 cars long — the standard for moving freight to a growing global market."

The port also has completed the first phase of a new $30 million rail entrance, which is designed to significantly reduce congestion on the mainline that serves the port.

The largest capital project in the port's 100-year history, the West Vancouver Freight Access project calls for establishing new dual-carrier rail access into the port via BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad; enlarging the port's rail yard and building a loop track; relocating facilities and utilities to accommodate track realignment; and improving area roadways. The project is slated for completion in 2017.