Port of Oakland’s container terminal operator, TraPac, concluded a USD 67 million waterfront expansion in January 2019 as it opened a new vessel berth to arriving container ships.
The milestone signals completion of a two-year project at Oakland’s second-largest terminal that has nearly doubled TraPac’s footprint from 66 to 123 acres; boosted its fleet of ship-to-shore cranes from four to seven; and added a third 1,400-foot-long dock for berthing mega containerships.
“We are grateful to dockworkers, truckers, carriers, cargo owners and all of our stakeholders for working with us during this buildout,” said TraPac Operations Vice President Brian Bauer. “We forecast continued cargo growth in Oakland and we are ready for it.”
TraPac officially began its new era in Oakland this month when the container vessel Bay Bridge tied up at Berth 25. Fittingly, the ship moored in Oakland’s Outer Harbor near the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge.
TraPac’s expansion is the latest in a series of significant investments at the Port of Oakland. Last November, Lineage Logistics and Dreisbach Enterprises opened Cool Port Oakland, a $90 million refrigerated distribution center. Last June, Oakland International Container Terminal completed a $14 million project to heighten four cranes. TraPac has said it will raise two cranes, as well.
“It’s gratifying to see tenants investing in Oakland’s future,” said Port Maritime Director John Driscoll.
TraPac handles about 15 percent of the containerized cargo moving through Oakland. Much of it is refrigerated cargo destined for Japan, a major Oakland trading partner. TraPac said that during expansion, it increased plug-in spaces for storing refrigerated containers from 388 to 860.
As part of its buildout, TraPac last summer opened a new gate complex for harbor truck drivers. It also purchased nine new pieces of cargo-handling equipment to lift containers.
TraPac signed a 14-year-lease with the Port in 2016 as a precursor to its expansion.