This week, Tacoma’s waterfront will say goodbye to two familiar giants. The ship-to-shore cranes IHI 2078 (built in 1979) and Sumitomo 2403 (built in 1986) that have stood at Terminal 7 for decades will be carefully loaded onto a heavy-lift barge and towed out of Commencement Bay, headed for the Port of Bellingham where they will be recycled.
The removal marks the final step of the multi-year project to retire the equipment that had reached the end of its safe and useful life. In recent years, the cranes had become unreliable with maintenance costs far exceeding their remaining value to port operations.
By removing the cranes whole via barge instead of dismantling on site, The Northwest Seaport Alliance will minimize disruption to ongoing cargo activities at the busy terminal.
The removal of these cranes allows space for more cargo activity today and future terminal improvements that will serve the gateway and waterfront jobs long into the future.
Port neighbors will be able to watch the massive structures depart Terminal 7 the evening of December 18.