The Port of Redwood City, which is located 18 nautical
miles south of San Francisco and is the only deepwater port in the south San
Francisco Bay, experienced a 51 percent increase in cargo movement across its
docks for its fiscal year that ended June 30.
The port’s 12-month figure was 1,319,198 metric tons, up
from 871,940 metric tons from the previous fiscal year and the highest at Redwood
City since 2008.
Port operations manager Don Snaman said 74 vessels - 48
ships and 26 barges - made calls during the year, compared to 47 vessels (36
ships and 11 barges) the year before.
The port says the significant rise in traffic is
reflective of a significant increase in construction in the Bay Area as well as
the high quality of building materials from British Columbia.
“The high quality of the sand and gravel aggregates from
British Columbia combined with the dwindling supply of these materials in
Northern California because quarries are unable to expand triggered a strong
demand that the port benefitted from,” PORC Executive Director Michael J. Giari
said.
Imports of sand and aggregates totaled 844,370 metric
tons during the 12-month period, 244 percent higher than the previous fiscal
year. The increase helped offset a 132,886 MT decrease in exports of shredded
scrap metal by Sims Metal Management, which had experienced a record high
444,591 MT of exports the previous year.
