The barge would move containers between the Wando Welch and Hugh K. Leatherman terminals.
South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) is proposing to create a barge service that would move containers between its Wando Welch Terminal and the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal.
From the Leatherman Terminal, they would be moved to the nearby Navy Base Intermodal Facility, an intermodal container transfer facility being built by the state-owned Palmetto Railways. The Leatherman Terminal and intermodal facility are expected to open in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
The port says the barge service could reduce the number of truck trips to and from Wando Welch, resulting in less traffic congestion, pollution, and potential for accidents. Additionally the service could protect against rising trucking costs or a shortage of truck drivers. SCPA also said the reduced wear and tear on roadways as a result of the barge service is expected to save $27.4 million in maintenance costs over a 30-year period.
The project would also allow for the movement of heavier cargo in containers without the need for special permits or equipment.
The port noted how cargo volumes in Charleston have risen quickly to 2.28 million TEUs in 2017, up from 1.18 million TEUs in 2009, and that traffic on I-526, the primary route between the Wando Welch Terminal and rail yards in North Carolina, has increased 18 percent between 2012 and 2017 to over 95,000 vehicles per day. It said the barge could eliminate 200,000 truck trips annually.
According to the ports authority, approximately 210,000 containers were transported between Wando Welch and local railyards in 2016 as part of its “rapid rail” program. Over the next 30 years, that volume is projected to grow to almost 350,000 containers per year, according to a permit application with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District.
That permit is needed for a 700-foot extension of the Wando Welch dock to provide the space for the barge as well as accompanying dredging. Information on the permit request is available here.
An article in the Charleston Post and Courier said that if the permit is approved, SCPA would seek grants for the project.
The U.S. Maritime Administration has recognized waterways that connect SCPA’s terminals as designated marine highways. The newspaper said that Sen. Larry Grooms, the head of the state’s port oversight commission, and Ted Pitts of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce have sent letters of support for the project to the Army Corps.
The plan was presented to the Charleston County Legislative Delegation Roads and Bridge Committee last week and Erin Dhand, a spokeswoman for the port, said it voted to recommend to the full delegation that a letter of support be submitted to the Corps during the public comment period.
SC Ports plans barge service
