b'18American Journal of Transportation ajot.comSPONSORED CONTENT VIRGINIA PORTS 2021Port of Virginia efficiently expediting record volumes via enhanced facilitiesBy Paul Scott Abbott, AJOTNewlyenhancedterminalinfra- endar 2020 was the most productive structureisplayingacrucialroleinthree-month period in the ports his-expediting all-time-high containerizedtory,withmorethan814,000 TEUs cargo volumes through The Port of Vir- processedattheportstwonewly ginia, which is foresightedly advanc- expandedcontainerterminalsa ing further projects to meet demandsyear-over-yeargrowthofmorethan of shippers for generations to come. 13 percent.ThePortofVirginiaisinaAnd the record performances have really great place, said Rob Canniz- continued into 2021, with The Port of zaro, vice president of operations atVirginia reporting its best January ever,The Port of Virginia now offers six berths capable of accommodating ultra-large container Virginia International Terminals, andwith the nearly 271,000 TEUs handledvessels, such as the CMA CGM Brazil, the largest boxship to ever dock on the U.S. East Coast, were poised for continued success. being up more than 19 percent over thewith a capacity of 15,072 twenty-foot-equivalent units.While, largely due to the COVID- comparable year-earlier month.19 pandemic and U.S. trade issues withNot only are the deepwater con-China, Port of Virginia volumes weretainer facilities of the Hampton Roads down slightly earlier in calendar 2020,areabustlingwithactivity,butthe slippingatotalof4percentoverallinlandRichmondMarineTermi-for the 12-month period, the year con- nalisflourishingaswell,offering cluded on an extremely high note. container-on-barge service along the James River as a cost-effective, eco-a ll -t Ime -H IgHa CtIvItyC ontInueS friendly alternative to a 90-mile truck The Port of Virginia enjoyed itsdray along busy Interstate 64.best December ever, processing moreOurcustomersrecognizethe than 260,000 twenty-foot-equivalentvalueofthissustainableproduct, container units, up 16 percent fromCannizzaro said, noting that volume December 2019, following a Novem- in the service grew by more than 12 berinwhichmorethan280,000percent year-over-year in 2020, reach-TEUs crossed port docksthe busi- ing more than 42,000 lifts.est of any month ever for the port, surpassingthe274,000TEUshan- I nveStmentSt op$800 m IllIon The newly reconfigured south berth container yard area at Norfolk International Terminals dled in October 2020. Changingconsumerpurchasingis among products of an $800 million investment delivering more than 1 million TEUs All told, the fourth quarter of cal- (RECORDcontinued on page 19) of additional annual capacity at The Port of Virginia.Attitude Makes The Difference NorfolkInternationalWe Know the Virginia PortsTerminalPort Drayage Rail Drayage Refrigerated DrayageTank Drayage Specialized TransportTransloading Century ExpressCentury 810 Ford Dr, Norfolk, VA 23523 Express 757-494-9200NorfolkSouthernwww.centuryexpress.comRail RampAD2021.indd 1 2/25/21 2:55 PM'