Transportation Service, Inc. (ITS), a member of the K” Line Group, has reached an agreement in principle with the Port of Tacoma on major terms for the re-alignment of its terminal space in Tacoma, and future expansion of a larger facility. ITS presently operates Husky Terminal in Tacoma.
According to the agreement, Husky Terminal will shift from its current location at Terminal 7-D on the Sitcum Waterway to the Terminal 3/Terminal 4 area on the Blair Waterway. The port expects to complete the re-alignment by spring of 2005.
This development will more than double the size of Husky’s existing 33-acre Tacoma facility. The companys new terminal will include about 74 acres of container yard and preferential berthing area. Under the agreement, the port will make a variety of improvements to the terminal area, including repaving certain areas for transtainer operation.
ITS has been an important customer and partner of the Port of Tacoma since 1983, said Andrea Riniker, Executive Director of the Port of Tacoma. Through this agreement, the Port will be able to handle both its current and future growth needs.
Huskys rail interface with the ports North Intermodal Rail Yard (NIM) will remain the same. The NIM is adjacent to both Husky and the Terminal 3/Terminal 4 area.
The port will also work to add additional acreage to the terminal by March 2006. The completion of the Slip One nearshore confined disposal site will bring the total terminal acreage to about 93 acres.
Our terminal enhancement plans in Tacoma are aimed at making our terminals well-prepared for handling the steadily growing number of containers moving through this major West Coast gateway port, said Sho Ishitobi, president of ITS. We are also committed to accommodating the larger container vessels that major shipping lines are deploying in the U.S. West Coast trade.
Final details of the agreement are still being worked out between the port and ITS. Once a new lease is finalized, it will be presented in July to the Port of Tacoma Commission for approval.
As one of the major container terminal operators on the West Coast, said Ishitobi, we will continue our strong commitment of providing a high level of services to shipping lines, including ‘K’ Line and their customers in anticipation of growing future market demands.
ITS, a member of the K Line Group, operates container terminals in the major ports of Long Beach, Oakland, and Tacoma, providing high quality services to customers through major shipping lines including K Line, which calls at its terminals along the U.S. West Coast.
