Stevedoring and terminal operations company SSA Marine has
been chosen by the Port of Stockton to manage the terminal for a new barge
service that will operate between Stockton and the Port of Oakland.
The barge service, which is called the M-580 Marine Highway,
is so named because it would be parallel to Interstate 580, the corridor that
many truckers use to transport goods to and from the ports.
The $30 million project, which is partially funded by the US
Transportation Dept., is aimed at moving ocean shipping containers by barge
instead of trucking between the Port of Oakland and the Central Valley.
The service was initially projected to open in the fall of
2012, but was delayed by issues regarding how much union labor would be used.
The barge service is now expected to debut later this spring, according to
Stockton officials.
Under its contract with the port, SSA Marine is expected to
provide terminal services, including terminal management, marketing and
logistical support for the Marine Highway, while port officials provide
management oversight for the project.
SSA already operates a terminal in Oakland, something port
Director Richard Aschieris has said is an added advantage for the company.
It’s estimated that about 1,600 containers per day move
between the Stockton and Oakland ports along I-580, which is one of
California’s most congested freeways. Stockton says the barge service could
potentially save shippers time as well as money in transport costs, since it
would allow containers to be loaded in excess of California’s highway weight
limit of 22 metric tons.
