Terminal transformation

Infrastructure improvements ranging from the extension and strengthening of an existing wharf to the construction of an intermodal rail yard are turning a 30-year-old cargo-handling facility at the Port of Tacoma into the largest West Coast container terminal north of Los Angeles. Originally developed in the 1970s for general and roll-on/roll-off cargoes, Pierce County Terminal will be the Port of Tacoma's next major intermodal container terminal. The aggressive schedule and budgetary goals ofthe $210-million program dictated an integrated and comprehensive planning and design project involving a cohesive team effort. As part of the planning process, Evergreen Marine Corp. and Marine Terminals Corp. (MTC) determined that straddle carriers would be used for vessel, train, and gate service. Specialized container-handling trucks known as side handlers would be used for receiving and delivering empty containers and processing empty refrigerated containers. A significant element of the project was the structural improvement of the wharf. The wharf was lengthened at each end, 93 ft to the west and 574 ft to the east, to create a 2,087 ft long structure with 2 berths. The wharf was improved to handle a typical live load of 1,000 psf, and heavy-load sections were designed for loads up to 2,000 psf. As the current project nears completion, the tenant has the option of pursuing a 2nd phase of construction taht would increase the size of the facility to 237 acres and expand its annual capacity to 1.2 million TEUs.