WATERBORNE Existing Corridor Conditions & Opportunities 2 ... · 2.7. Waterborne Network/Port Facilities and Operations 2.7.1. Waterborne Analysis Area The Primary Study Area, which

WATERBORNE Existing Corridor Conditions & Opportunities

I-87 Multimodal Corridor Study

2.7. Waterborne Network/Port Facilities and Operations 2.7.1. Waterborne Analysis Area The Primary Study Area, which focuses on the central and northern segments of the corridor, is bounded by the City of Hudson near Interchange 21 of the New York State Thruway to the northern tip of Lake Champlain at the Canadian Border. Within that area, the Study focused on the waterways that are both commercially navigable and viewed as commercially important waterways. Therefore, those waterways used primarily by recreational or other noncommercial types of vessels were evaluated to a lesser degree. The fact that virtually all of these waterways are closed for five months a year also severely limits their ability to compete in most freight and non-recreational passenger markets. These primarily “recreational” waterways, Lake Champlain and the Barge Canal System, were initially evaluated for their multi-modal potential and economic opportunities. Based on this refinement process, the Study focused primarily on (1) the Port of Albany, (2) the Hudson River south of Albany to Hudson, and (to a lesser degree) (3) the Hudson River North of Albany and the connecting canals to Lake Champlain.

Schuylerville Locks

2.7.2. Existing Operations in the Corridor The majority of waterborne commerce in the corridor is generated from traffic along the Hudson River south of the Port of Albany. In the past, the Port of Albany was devoted largely to the bulk shipment market. However, this market has decreased due to the loss of operators through shifting in market conditions or technology changes, reducing the demand for various products or favoring alternate shipping methods. Some of these shipping markets included bananas, automobiles, twine, steel, bailing twine and scrap iron. The Port of Albany has been able to retain heavy lift, liquid fertilizer, molasses, wood pulp, grain and cocoa beans. 2.7.3. Waterborne Activity Forecasts Projections by the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Freight Management and Operations indicate that while it will grow in terms of tonnage handled and total shipment value, waterborne freight in the State as a percentage of total freight handled (by weight and value) will decline over the next 20 years. However, the international freight market for all modes including waterborne will grow considerably more than domestic freight, with a strong emphasis on container cargo. The recent introduction of the twice-a-week scheduled container barge service between the Ports of New York & New Jersey and Albany Albany Express Barge

Parsons-Clough Harbour Page 2.7-1



represents a great opportunity for the Port of Albany and the corridor. Further, it gives the Port of Albany the ability to integrate cargo with road and rail transportation to service the Northeast region. This service commenced during the first quarter of 2003. Although the program’s initial volumes have been below projections, the APDC still hopes barge volumes will grow sufficiently to reach the projected total of roughly 18,500 additional containers at the Port of Albany by the end of 2005. This would account for an additional 250,000 tons of cargo, or a 30 percent increase in its present tonnage. This new volume could help support the development of waterside and landside improvements at the Port, and similar improvements to rail and highway links serving it. The shipping community is slow to change its practices, since reliability and consistency are what it sells to its clients. If the growing container handling service is maintained, the Port of Albany will enhance its potential to become an important multi-modal center for the Northeast. North of the Port of Albany, the waterborne network and the volume of commercial shipping become much more limited. The US Army Corps of Engineers has made a variety of improvements to the Troy Lock and Dam (see map for location), which were completed in 2003, and has an ongoing dredging program up to the southern limit of the State Barge Canal at Waterfront to maintain shipping depths. There is some barge activity between Albany and the Troy Lock and Dam -- e.g., scrap metal barged from the Freeman’s facility in Troy, raw materials barged to the Clemente Latham cement plant, various barge-serviced tank farms in Troy and in the Village of Green Island, etc. Overall, the amount of barge activity that these facilities generate is relatively small. Further, given the canal system’s seasonal limitations, small locks and shallow drafts and the limited number of appropriate shipping markets, there is very little barge traffic north of the Federal Lock and Dam. 2.7.4. Port of Montreal The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) is an autonomous federal agency created under the terms of the Canada Marine Act. The MPA builds and maintains infrastructure that it leases to private stevedoring companies. It is a financially self-sufficient entity and does not receive any form of public funding. The MPA operates the Port of Montreal, a year-round facility located on the St. Lawrence River, linked by shipping lines to more than 100 countries around the world. It offers the shortest route between major European and Mediterranean ports and many




North American markets. Capable of handling containerized and non-containerized general cargo, grain and other dry bulk, petroleum and other liquid bulk products, the Port handles some 20 million tons of diversified cargo annually. The Port’s facilities include the following:

• • • •

•

•

•

• • •

Four modern container terminals; Large, open areas for handling dry bulk; Two multipurpose terminals; 18 transit sheds for non-containerized general cargo and dry bulk; A grain terminal with 260,000-ton storage capacity; Berths for petroleum products and other liquid bulk; A railway network with over 60 miles of track, directly connecting almost every berth with transcontinental rail access and linked to the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific rail yards, providing regular double-stack service to the Toronto, Detroit, and Chicago regions); A passenger terminal for cruise ships; Heavy-lift cranes; and Roll-on/roll-off cargo ramps.

Over one million containers pass through the port each year. As shown in the chart below, the worldwide growth in containerized waterborne traffic relative to other types of cargo has also

occurred in Montreal. In 1993, containerized cargo accounted for roughly 36% of the freight handled (on a tonnage basis). Over the next 10 years, while the shipment of other types of waterborne cargo through Montreal declined by 12%, containerized cargo traffic increased by 60%, accounting for over 50% of total volume by weight. Approximately half of the port’s containerized cargo traffic is destined for or coming from the Canadian market – mainly Quebec

Port of Montreal Traffic: 1993-2002

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4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Met

ric T

ons

Bulk Container Other Gen.




and Ontario. (Source: Port of Montreal, Annual Statistics). The other half is to or from the U.S. market, mainly the Midwest and the Northeast. Discussions with Port of Montreal representatives indicated that activity at their port is expected grow at roughly 5% annually over the next 4-5 years, including some growth in non-containerized traffic. An important statistic and challenge for the I-87 corridor is the fact that over 99% of the tonnage carried to and from the Northeast United States at the Port of Montreal is handled by truck. This clearly reflects the very limited rail freight infrastructure connecting the two areas. In summary, the Port of Montreal is a significant international port, handling roughly 20 million metric tons of freight annually. In relative terms, it is clearly less than, say, the 75 million handled at the Port or New York & New Jersey but considerably more than the 0.6 million metric tons handled annually at the Port of Albany. Due to its proximity to the I-87 corridor, the volume of corridor highway truck traffic it generates, and the potential for growth in rail freight business if rail network improvements were made, the Port of Montreal and its continued growth are important to the I-87 corridor. The Port of Montreal’s recent publication, Land Use Plan for the Port of Montreal, MPA (February 2003), and follow-up discussions with MPA staff confirm the Port of Montreal’s already prominent position, and that the MPA and other Canadian transportation and economic development agencies are already addressing the Port’s present and long-term operational and infrastructure needs. Given this, the potential needs for the Port of Montreal will not be analyzed further in this report. 2.7.5. Waterborne Freight Improvement Needs – Port of Albany/Rensselaer • Port of Albany The Port of Albany is the major marine center for regional business and industry in Upstate New York. Located centrally along the I-87 corridor, it has three surface transport modes in place (water, rail and interstate highway) that make it a natural multi-modal logistic center. It has access to three Class 1 rail providers, north-south and east-west interstate highways, and a natural deepwater port. The Port of Albany has relatively convenient deepwater access via the Hudson River to the largest metropolitan area in the United States. • Port of Albany Physical Assets The Port of Albany currently has approximately 236 acres of developed port lands, fronted by 6,750 linear feet of wharves and docks, 8 major cargo warehouses and sheds, a grain elevator, liquid storage tanks, and adjacent out-storage space. The Port of Albany has highway and rail access on both sides of the Hudson River, and has 11 berthing areas for vessels. Many of the Port of Albany’s major facilities (wharfs, sheds, and elevator) were constructed between 1925 and 1935, and considerable deterioration has occurred since that time. Recently, however, the Albany Port District Commission (APDC) has been rehabilitating many of its assets, especially the docks and transit sheds. As a result, the physical condition of the Port of




Albany is greatly improved over what it was in the late 1980s. While other maintenance and rehabilitation will be needed in the future, the most urgent condition deficiencies have been corrected. • Port of Albany Master Plan The Albany Port District Commission (the Port), in updating its Port Master Plan in 2000, made a comprehensive assessment of the existing infrastructure conditions and needs at the Port of Albany/Rensselaer, and identified areas in which changes in port layout, facilities, operations and equipment were required to address market needs. The main findings and recommendations of that report (Por 2000 Expanding the Reach of the Port of Albany/Rensselaer – hereafter the “Port 2000 Master Plan”) called for:

t

and.

(1) Improved container-handling operations, including the need for better mobile crane

equipment; (2) Expanded container storage yard; (3) Access to at least two container transfer facilities (to truck or rail); (4) Access to all nearby Class 1 railroads; (5) New bulk storage area near a marine birth, and (6) A warehouse distribution center.

The Port of Albany had a suitable amount of lHowever the Port 2000 Master Plan found that much of it was being misused, with various operations needing to be moved and certain buildings torn down to create needed waterside space. The Rensselaer portion of the Port of Albany has a considerable amount of available land and good roadway access. However, its poor soil conditions severely limit the amount of bulk storage (its projected main market) that the site can handle, with measures to correct this generally considered too expensive. • Assessment of Port of Albany Improvement Needs The Study Team fully reviewed the Port 2000 Master Plan, visited the port and met on several occasions with Port management and staff. The following is a review of the conditions identified in that report or in subsequent site visits and discussions with Port of Albany staff.

• Port of Albany Security Systems Upgrade

The Port of Albany is an example of a typical small port that has had a low level of security incidents in the past. This experience has resulted in a minimum level of security measures and controls at the Port. The events of September 11, 2001 have made all levels of government and the shipping community realize that the nation’s ports are highly vulnerable and heightened security measures and improvements must be undertaken to secure our ports and the commerce they support. The U.S.




government through the Department of Homeland Security is providing funding for Port Security Surveys and some security equipment. These funds are available and should continue to be pursued by the Port of Albany.

An improved security survey would provide the basic information for the development of a Security Program. Risk Analysis of each of the areas of the Port of Albany will prioritize the issues that should be addressed immediately and those that are more long-term. The survey will quickly address the Port of Albany’s immediate needs, which include:

Perimeter fencing; •

• • • • •

•

Protective barriers; Security lighting; Bonded marine yard: Gate access controls; and Central security administrative center.

Some of these security improvements have already been made in certain areas of the port. However, more are needed. Hudson River Navigation Channel The Hudson River North of Coxsackie, New York to the Port of Albany provides 32 feet of channel depth. This depth is critical to waterborne commerce, and less than that depth would dramatically reduce the types of commerce the Port of Albany is now handling and would impact its role as an important freight center capable of supporting the corridor’s future growth.

The river is a natural deepwater waterway, but there are sections of the river where the channel width is less than 400 feet for the full 32 feet of depth. It is important to address those sections of the channel where the depth of water is less than 32 feet for the standard channel width of 400 feet. This limitation at these points has been a concern for vessel operators and in certain cases has caused vessels to anchor until passing vessels are clear of the restricted section of the channel. This issue has been raised by tug boat operators, who have less steering ability when towing barges than self-propelled vessels and therefore are concerned about having less than 400 feet of clearance when approaching oncoming vessels.

The increased channel width would minimize concerns of the shipping community navigating the reaches of the Hudson River above Coxsackie, New York and provide full access to the Port of Albany. These problems are being addressed in part by the US Army Corps of Engineering’s ongoing dredging work in this area of the Hudson River.

• Port of Albany – Marine Yard Upgrades To take advantage of the continuously expanding container market, the Port of Albany needs to expand its container handling storage capacity and logistic warehouses to




distribute container activities. This would be achieved by removing existing obsolete buildings and connecting the area into state-of-the-art marine yards. State-of-the-art features include:

• Improved lighting; • Storm water systems; • Grading and paving to support container handling equipment; • Improved fire suppression system; • Improved signage and paving marking; and • Access roads.

The presence of these facilities would demonstrate the Port’s ability and commitment to provide efficient services and facilities to handle the large container volumes required by a logistic center.

• Port of Albany – Wharf Upgrades The life expectancy of the existing wharfs has been extended and the most urgent wharf project has been completed. However, those wharfs that still have live load capacities of 600 psf need to be upgraded to roughly 1,000 psf to permit modern cargo operation. The existing wharf Structures 5 and 6 are over 90 years old and well beyond their service life expectancy. Replacing or reconstructing these wood structures and the adjacent sheds and providing both berthing facilities and a nearby back-up marine yard would support the higher cargo loads being generated by today’s shipping community.

The existing fendering systems were recently rebuilt, and must be maintained. They should be capable of accommodating 35,000 ton impacts at 2 ft per second at a 5° approach angle. The wharf margins have recently been widened at Sheds 4 and 5, resulting in a 78-foot apron along Berths 4, 5, and 6. This increased working area in front of Sheds 3, 4 and 5 is a major operational improvement. In summary, the wharfs and aprons are in much better shape than in the past. However, there is a continuing need to upgrade the wharfs to modern standards.

• Roll-On-Roll-Off (RO/RO) Ramps and Landing Platforms Although the Port of Albany previously serviced Roll-on/Roll-off (RO/RO) vessels for both general cargo and automobiles, these types of vessels presently cannot be handled. They could be handled by modifying some of the existing lower-capacity wharfs that need upgrading anyway, fitting them with the ramp structures and landing platforms required for RO/RO operation. With competitive pricing from the railroads, the Port of Albany could attract RO/RO cargo such as construction machinery, farm equipment and other manufactured vehicles, with service competitive with the Port of Baltimore and others.




• Mobile Container/General Cargo Crane

As noted above, the Port of Albany is now servicing the newly created container service (Albany Express) to the Port of New York & New Jersey with a recently purchased heavy lift model crane. However, this crane is not appropriate for use as a container cargo or break bulk cargo crane. The Port of Albany should address this need by providing an additional mobile crane specifically dedicated to containerized cargo. The investment in the mobile container crane would provide the Port of Albany with the ability to meet standard container production rates that could enhance their marketing to the shipping community.

• Refrigerated Storage Capability

The Port of Albany, which in the past did service some refrigerated cargo, is presently not handling temperature-sensitive commodities. Refrigerated or other temperature-sensitive cargo is the fastest growing segment of containerized cargo, as consumers demand products year-round that were once only available in certain seasons. Products that were only shipped by air freight or in bulk “reefer” (refrigerated container) vessels are now being sent in temperature-controlled containers. The Port of Albany should provide reefer power outlets where standard reefer containers would be serviced. These units would be installed in the marine yard where multiple reefer units would be stored prior to ship loading or until the end user collected his produce. These facilities would allow the Port of Albany to store and service the reefer units that are a major portion of containerized cargo.

• Container Handling and Storage The Port 2000 Master Plan targets both

marine and non-marine (rail intermodal) container cargos. Based on the analysis of existing conditions and projected demand, this will require at least two berths (approximately 1200 ft) with adequate container handling area to load and unload, as well as 20-30 acres of adjacent container storage area.

Source: PIERS Maritime Research Services

• Buildings on APDC Property

There are approximately 60 buildings on APDC-controlled property at the Port of Albany. Of these, nearly half are owned by the APDC, with tenants owning the remainder. From a marine cargo standpoint, eight are currently used for public port purposes (Transit Sheds 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, Warehouses A and B, and the Alco Building.) Others could be similarly used if the current tenants were relocated, making those spaces available for freight-handling and storage activities.




• General Cargo Facilities

The storage areas associated with the general cargo operations could include the eight major covered storage buildings, a seven-acre open storage area located behind Buildings 2 through 5, and the privately owned storage tanks for molasses, liquid fertilizer and other liquid products.

• Transit Sheds and Warehouses

The transit sheds and warehouses are among the Port’s best assets. The two warehouses (A and B) are modern facilities and still maintain certification to store food products. Transit Sheds 4 and 5 have recently been rebuilt to provide for greater apron space along the adjacent berths and to improve cargo handling and storage.

• Utilities

The Port 2000 Master Plan addresses some of the limitations of the various services, including water hydrants, electricity, lighting, and drainage. These services need to be inspected and further evaluated in terms of the Port’s role for the future as the multi-modal center for the Corridor.

• Road Access

The condition of the road systems within both of Albany and Rensselaer portions of the Port or Albany has been significantly improved since 1988. All of the major Port roads have been paved with asphalt concrete and widened where possible. The roads are in good overall condition with isolated areas of roughly patched potholes.

• Albany Site

There are two entrances to the Albany site (Church Street on the north, and the west entrance from South Pearl Street/State Routes 32 and 144). Both entrances provide reasonably convenient truck access to and from Albany and the interstate system, but port traffic is required to use the local streets to and from the highways. Within the Port of Albany itself, the road improvements implemented to date (paving, addition of crowns and shoulders, and widening) appear to provide an adequate system for current truck traffic volume. The rail grade crossings have also been improved, but are still rough at all but the lowest speeds. With the addition of a new intermodal facility for containerized freight, it will be necessary to construct new, more direct access roads from the facility to the existing entrances.

• Rensselaer Site

Access to the Rensselaer site has been greatly improved by construction of the Port Expressway by the New York State Department of Transportation. The Expressway provides direct truck access to the interstate system via State Route 9. Within the





Rensselaer Port area itself, the central access road has been paved with asphalt concrete and crowned. The existing road system is fully adequate to support the use of the Rensselaer site as a bulk cargo facility. As noted earlier, the problematic soil conditions on the Rensselaer site severely limit the ability to take more advantage of this good highway access.

2.7.6. Summary of Existing Conditions and Operations Based on the Study Team’s review of available data and on the stakeholders' input, two critical areas for waterborne transportation were identified within the corridor:

• The Port of Albany (including Rensselaer side) • The Hudson River (Navigation Channel)

The Port of Albany is well positioned for a wide range of cargo opportunities. With its location on the Hudson River 124 miles north of New York City, it can be a multimodal logistic center that integrates surface and rail modes with improved marine facilities. The Albany Express connection with the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey will provide a solid base upon which to build. Overall Port of Albany shipping volumes to date have been relatively modest, and a considerable amount of improvement to waterside, landside, and rail and highway connections would be needed for it to become a more significant freight center in the Northeast. However, the mixture of elements necessary to make a major step in that direction appears to be present. 2.7.7. Waterborne Network Improvement Concepts The initial phase of the Study’s development and assessment process involved compilation and review of available technical studies, commercial publications and marketing materials. The initiatives contained within the compiled documents were then evaluated against the goals and objectives of this project in preparation for individual stakeholder interviews and input. The selection of critical improvement areas was primarily driven by the following:

• Economic activities and trends in the shipping industry, • The present condition and operational abilities of the system’s physical infrastructure,

and • Any linkages to multi-modal or economic activity nodes.

Exhibit 2.7-1 lists the candidate concepts within the Waterborne category, and indicates the approximate location of each within the Primary and Secondary Study Areas. Brief write-ups of each concept are then provided.

WATERBORNE Long List Report



Exhibit 2.7-1: Waterborne Improvement Concepts

No. Project Concept Location W-1 Port of Albany:

Security System Upgrades

City of Albany, Albany County

W-2 Port of Albany; Wharf Upgrades


W-3 Port of Albany; Marine Yard Upgrades


W-4 Port of Albany; Refrigerated Storage Capabilities


W-5 Port of Albany; Container Handling Operations


W-6 Port of Albany; Roll on/Roll off Loading and Unloading Capabilities


W-7 Hudson River Navigational Channel Improvements, North of Coxsackie to Port of Albany

Coxsackie to City of Albany, Albany County

W-8 Navigable Water Route Improvements north of Albany to the St. Lawrence River

River and canal system from Albany to Canada

Plattsburgh

Albany

NYC

Seco

nda

ry

Pri

mar

y

W-7

W-8

W-2

W-1

W-3

W-4

W-5

W-6




Improvement Concepts: W-1 Name and Location: Port of Albany: Security System Upgrades Albany County Purpose: Provide port security systems and controls to ensure the safety of the Port’s facilities, cargo tenants and access. Problem: The Port of Albany currently has minimal security systems and needs to upgrade the systems to Port Security Standards.

Description: The concept would involve a security survey of the Port of Albany and the development of a complete security system that would include:

• Perimeter fencing • Protection barriers • Security lighting and video surveillance • Bonded marine yard/warehouse • Gate access and exit controls • Central secure administrative center

Strategy: The U.S. Government through the Homeland Security Department is providing funds for surveys and analyses, and for actual hardware improvements. Benefit: This concept will address the primary basic standard security and safety features at the Port of Albany. Status: The Port is in the process of undertaking a security survey. The results of the survey should be advanced for funding opportunities.




Improvement Concepts: W-2 Name and Location: Port of Albany; Wharf Upgrades Purpose: Improve the serviceability of the Port of Albany by replacing or reconstructing existing Wharfs 5 and 6 and their adjacent shed to provide state of the art facilities. Problem: The existing Wharf Structures 5 and 6 are 90 years old with limited capacity and well beyond their service life expectancy.

Description: The concept would replace or reconstruct the wood structures at Wharf 5 and 6 and the adjacent sheds. Modifications or replacement of the structures would provide facilities to support the higher cargo loads being generated by today’s shippers and the greater frequency of shipping activity that the Port could experience. Strategy: The presence of a state of the art wharf facilities in the Port of Albany would demonstrate the Port’s ability and commitment to handle any cargos safely and with no physical limitations. Benefit: The investment in improved wharfs would maximize the potential cargo handling that the Port of Albany could experience. Currently the Port is hindered by its wharf limitations. Status: Presently the Port of Albany will continue to repair and modify structures as necessary. These maintenance efforts contribute to increasing operating costs until such time that some form of funding is received or until such time that services are limited to below certain industry capacity standards.




Improvement Concepts: W-3 Name and Location: Port of Albany; Marine Yard Upgrades Purpose: Improve the serviceability of the Port by providing additional state of the art marine yard facilities adjacent to the active berths. Problem: The existing marine yard is limited in area and capacity, and is surrounded by obsolete building structures.

Description: The concept would expand the marine yard area by removing existing obsolete buildings and convert the area into a state of the art marine yard that includes:

• Improved lighting • Storm water system upgrades • Grading and paving to support container handling equipment • Improved fire suppression water systems • Improved signing and pavement markings

Strategy: The presence of state of the art marine yard facilities in the Port of Albany would demonstrate the Port’s ability and commitment to efficiently handle large container volumes. Benefit: The investment in improved marine yard facilities would maximize the potential cargo handling that the Port could experience. Status: Presently the Port has limited container handling capabilities.




Improvement Concepts: W-4 Name and Location: Port of Albany; Refrigerated Storage Capabilities Purpose: Provide refrigerated storage capabilities to capture the refrigerated container cargo marketshare. Problem: The Port of Albany currently does not have any dedicated refrigerated storage, power or outlets to support refrigerated container cargo.

Description: The concept would provide adequate electrical power and standard refrigerated storage outlets to support multiple refrigerated storage containers. These units would be installed in the marine yard to support inbound and outbound refrigerated container traffic. Strategy: The presence of refrigerated storage facilities in the Port of Albany would allow the Port to attract refrigerated container cargo traffic. Benefit: The investment in refrigerated storage container facilities would maximize the potential cargo handling that the Port could experience. Status: Opportunity identification.




Improvement Concept: W-5 Name and Location: Port of Albany; Container Handling Operations, Albany County Purpose: Improve the serviceability of the Port of Albany container handling operations with the inclusion of a mobile container crane (refer to Intermodal Concept I-2). Problem: The Port of Albany has recently purchased a new heavy lift mobile crane which has limitations in its application for use as a container cargo or break bulk cargo crane. Without the service of a dedicated container crane (mobile or railed gantry designed specifically to handle container cargo or break bulk cargo) which can meet standard operation production rates and can travel the full length of the container wharf, the consideration of the Port of Albany as an alternative to over the road trucking, or as an inter-modal hub by the container freight community, is very limited.

Description: The concept would address the lack of container transfer capabilities within the Port of Albany by providing a mobile container crane specifically designed for container cargo and break bulk cargo which would meet current industry production rates and which can travel the full length of the container wharf. Strategy: The presence of a state of the art mobile container crane in the Port of Albany would demonstrate the Port’s ability and commitment to the development and facilitation of handling large container volumes efficiently. Benefit: The investment in a container crane would enhance the ability of the Port of Albany to meet standard crane production rates so that the Port could be marketed more effectively to the container freight community. Status: Opportunity identification.




Improvement Concepts: W-6 Name and Location: Port of Albany; Roll on/Roll off Loading and Unloading Capabilities Purpose: Convert a portion of the wharf structure to support roll on/roll off vessels and automobile vessel ramps. Problem: The Port of Albany berth currently does not have any capabilities to accommodate roll on/roll off vessels, nor does the Port have the ramp structures for automobile ships’ ramps.

Description: The concept would provide facilities to support these specialized ships, including ramps for roll on/roll off vessels and adequate bearing surfaces on the wharf to support automobile ships’ ramps and roll on/roll off ramps. Strategy: The ramps will provide the Port of Albany with the capability to accommodate specialized vessels that could attract new businesses and cargos into the Port which are currently not serviced in the Port. Benefit: The investment in roll on/roll off facilities would maximize the potential cargo handling that the Port could experience. Status: Opportunity identification.




Improvement Concepts: W-7 Name and Location: Hudson River Navigational Channel Improvements, North of Coxsackie to Port of Albany, Albany County Purpose: Improve the width and depth of sections of the Hudson River shipping channel that are less than the current accepted maritime standards. Problem: Sections of the Hudson River channel between Coxsackie and Albany have less than 32 feet of water at the outer quarters of the 400 foot channel width.

Description: The concept would address the sections of the channel that are below the standard width and depth. Dredging the outer quarter of the channel would provide a full 400 foot width of channel for vessels to pass each other in either direction. Strategy: Completion of this concept could be expedited through the use of the large dredging equipment that is being mobilized and activated for the EPA directed clean up of the General Electric sites further north on the Hudson River. Benefit: Increased channel width and depth would minimize concerns of shipping companies navigating the reaches of the Hudson River above Coxsackie and providing access to the Port of Albany. Status: Opportunity identification.




Improvement Concepts: W-8 Name and Location: Navigable Water Route Improvements north of Albany to Montreal and the St. Lawrence River. Purpose: Provide a navigable waterway with a minimum standard depth of 13 feet. Problem: The waterways north of Albany are not being maintained to their standard 13 feet. This lack of maintained depth is reducing waterborne traffic in both directions (barges often cannot be fully loaded due to depth limitations). The perception that depths may not be maintained in the future limits planning for meaningful expansion of freight operations. Description: The concept would address the limited draft to the waterway and dredge to the minimum design depth of 13 feet. Portions of the waterway require maintenance dredging. The shipping community is limited in its load capacity and barges to the lower drafts in the waterway. Strategy: The dredging issue is a high priority that affects the safety and viability of the waterway north of Albany. Benefit: This dredging would allow shippers to provide greater use and traffic on the waterway. Status: Presently no maintenance dredging is being performed.

Documents

WATERBORNE Existing Corridor Conditions & Opportunities 2 ... · 2.7. Waterborne Network/Port Facilities and Operations 2.7.1. Waterborne Analysis Area The Primary Study Area, which