8th Annual Port Industry Day

The local maritime community spent time discussing challenges of future growth at the 8th Annual Port Industry Day event held on October 20, at the Liberty Science Center. Port Commerce Director

Richard Larrabee told participants that the agency's continued focus on growth is absolutely essential," even though container volumes in the first eight months of the year are down 1 percent to 2 percent. Over the past decade, he noted, volumes have grown 8 percent to 12 percent each year.

The agency, with the assistance of the Army Corps of Engineers, expects to complete a study by next summer on how to replace or raise the bridge, which crosses the channel to container terminals in the Port Newark- Elizabeth complex in New Jersey and New York Container Terminal on Staten Island.

“We are looking at all the alternatives, including a tunnel, building another bridge, or raising the level of the existing bridge,” Larrabee said. “It’s not a matter of if but of when.”