Illinois inland port advances harbor project; Washington state port sells land for steel mill

America's Central Port held a ground-breaking ceremony on Monday in Granite City, Ill., for the second phase of the South Harbor project.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently approved the project, enabling construction on the South Harbor terminals to get underway, port officials said in a press release. The second phase calls for installing a conveyor system for loading barges with commodities brought to the inland port via rail and truck.

"Currently the port district's operators move more than 2.5 million tons of fertilizer, steel, agricultural products and petroleum annually," said America’s Central Port Chairman Bob Shipley. "The completion of this phase, and project as a whole, will enable us to transport more goods, and have an even greater impact on the region."

The Tri-City Regional Port District, which governs the port, plans to build the South Harbor and connecting rail lines for a multimodal inland waterway facility in Madison County, Ill. The harbor is projected to handle export agricultural products from Midwest growers and shippers, and various import products.

To be constructed by Korte-Luitjohn and TWM Engineers, the new South Harbor terminals will be operated by SCF Lewis and Clark Marine.

America's Central Port is served by BNSF Railway Co., CN, CSX Transportation, Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern Railway and Union Pacific Railroad, and connects with regional switching carrier the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis. Local switching services within the port are provided by the Port Harbor Railroad.

Meanwhile, the Port of Vancouver USA’s Board of Commissioners recently approved the sale of 9.6 acres in the Washington state port's Centennial Industrial Park (CIP) to Maruichi Northwest to build a structural steel tubing mill. The mill will be the first development in CIP, a prime light-industrial park in southwestern Clark County, port officials said in a press release.

A Maruichi American Corp. subsidiary, Maruichi Northwest plans to invest more than $30 million in land, facilities and equipment for the mill. The port and Maruichi Northwest expect to begin the process of selling and developing the property in fall. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2015 and conclude in late 2015 or early 2016.

The port aims to work with existing tenants, such as TriStar Transload, to meet Maruichi’s rail loading needs, said Todd Coleman, the port's chief executive officer.