Port of Houston invests in container terminals

The Port of Houston’s port commission approved contracts for the design of the Wharf 3 rehabilitation at the Barbours Cut Container Terminal and for the design of Container Yard 7 at the Bayport Container Terminal.

   The Port of Houston said its port commission authorized two design projects – one at the Barbours Cut Container Terminal and one at the Bayport Container Terminal – at a meeting last Wednesday.
   The port commission approved professional service contracts to Brown and Gay Engineers, Inc. for the design of the Wharf 3 rehabilitation at the Barbours Cut Container Terminal; and to RPS Klotz Associates for the design of Container Yard 7 at the Bayport Container Terminal.
   The Wharf 3 design project at the Barbours Cut Container Terminal will prepare this dock for larger ship loads, with new super post-Panamax cranes, an upgraded crane rail gauge, and faster multi-lane container transfer productivity, a Port of Houston spokesperson told American Shipper.
   At the Bayport Container Terminal, the port commission approved the design of Container Yard 7 “to continue to stay ahead of the growth curve,” the spokesperson said. The Bayport master plan includes investments of an additional $500 million, including new post-Panamax cranes as well, the spokesperson said.
   In addition, the spokesperson said the projects are consistent with a growth strategy driven by both higher imports and exports, and larger ship sizes.
   Overall, the Port of Houston has continued to see strong growth in the container sector. The Gulf Coast port said it handled 385,801 TEUs during the first two months of 2017, a 17 percent year-over-year increase.
   Port of Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther said he found it “extremely encouraging” that during this period, loaded container volumes increased by 21 percent and “remains very balanced” between import and export trades.