With the first phase of the Kapalama Container Terminal project at Honolulu Harbor completed ahead of schedule, Hawaii transportation leaders are ready for the second phase to begin. Earlier this month, the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) Harbors Division announced that it plans to open the bidding for Phase 2 in February 2020. This phase is expected to cost between $200 million and 300 million and should be completed by 2023. “Positive improvements are underway at our commercial harbors that will enhance operations for the harbor users, which ultimately benefits the public as a whole,” said Deputy Director Derek Chow,…

This week in San Diego, Matson, Inc. received delivery of its newest vessel from General Dynamics NASSCO. Christened Lurline, it is considered the biggest combination container / roll-on / roll-off (con-ro) vessel ever built in the US, the company announced Dec. 26. The 870-foot-long vessel – Matson’s largest and one of its fastest – will embark on its maiden voyage to Hawaii next month, stopping in Oakland and Long Beach, Calif., on Jan. 9 and Jan. 11 before arriving in Honolulu on Jan. 15. The Lurline is the first of a pair of "Kanaloa Class" con-ro ships by NASSCO, and the third of…

At the Port of Oakland, exports rose 5.8 percent to 81,781 TEUs in November compared to the same period a year ago, while import volume fell 7.2 percent to 77,350 TEUs, according to statistics released Tuesday. The port attributes the increased export numbers to “increased overseas demand – primarily in Asia – for US goods perceived to have high quality. It singled out American-produced farm goods, as an example.” Meanwhile, the import numbers reflect last year’s rush by shippers to quickly move cargo ahead of tariff hikes. Total cargo volume dipped 0.8 percent through the first 11 months of the…

Eleanor Torres has been named the Port of Long Beach’s new director of government relations. She will represent the port’s interests with the federal, state and local governments and oversee the port's legislative advocates in Sacramento, Calif., and Washington, D.C. The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners recently approved the appointment of Torres, who previously worked for the Orange County Water District as public affairs director. Prior to her work in Orange County, Torres spent a decade working for the California Legislature, which included being district director for then-Assembly Majority Leader Dario Frommer. Torres, who is expected to begin in…

After 82 days of counter-narcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, US Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750) crew members returned home to Alameda, Calif., before Christmas. Their efforts resulted in the seizure of 5,851 pounds of cocaine worth more than an estimated $100 million. The previous week, the crew was in San Diego, Calif., offloading more than 18,000 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $312 million. The drugs were ceased over the course of “seven separate suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions and disruptions by five Coast Guard cutter crews”. The operation occurred between October and December while the crews…

Efforts to return the Squalicum Waterway to its authorized width and depth are now under way. Earlier this month, the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Port of Bellingham launched a 45-day, $2.2 million waterfront infrastructure project, which involves dredging approximately 254,000 cubic yards of material from the waterway and transporting it by barge to disposal sites. Long Beach-based Curtin Maritime Corp has been contracted to perform the work. “Maintenance dredging of the Squalicum Waterway is long overdue,” said Bellingham Cold Storage President Doug Thomas, whose company teamed with the port to secure the federal funding needed to perform…

The Port of Seattle recently adopted the Duwamish Valley Community Benefits Commitment, a policy that will foster economic opportunities in this port-adjacent community. “The Port of Seattle is excited to continue working with the Duwamish Valley community in providing greater opportunities to near-Port neighborhoods that are disproportionately impacted by environmental justice issues,” said Port of Seattle Commission President Stephanie Bowman. “We’ve seen great results so far, and we look forward to engaging more community groups to continue this innovative and impactful work.” The policy is the culmination of three years of work between the port and Duwamish Valley community and…

To assist the nonprofit Impossible Roads Foundation with a special Veterans Day project, LTI, Inc. employees drove from Seattle to Ferndale, Wash., to deliver 13 Matson-donated 40-foot high-cube containers that were transformed into homes for disabled veterans in Whatcom County. Every tiny home created has been dubbed 'The Impossible Tiny Home' because “it is a small miracle that all of the materials, insight, design, labor, and personnel came together to build them,” said John Hope of the Impossible Roads Foundation. "You guys truly are lifesavers," Hope wrote to LTI, Inc. "We do not know how we could build and provide…

Michele Heffes is the Port of Oakland’s new Port Attorney, the first woman to hold the title in the port’s 92-year history. Heffes, a 31-year port veteran, takes over for Danny Wan, who became the Port’s Executive Director on Nov. 14. She started at the port in 1988 as an environmental scientist. In 1993, she became a Deputy Port Attorney, then served other roles in the Port Attorney’s Office, including Assistant Port Attorney. “I’m honored to serve as the Port Attorney for the preeminent public institution in the Bay Area,” said Heffes. “I look forward to working with the Board…

Major online cruise resource Cruise Critic recently bestowed The Port of Seattle the honor of Best North American Homeport 2019 and listed Seattle as a ‘Cruiser’s Choice’ in their Top 5 Destinations of 2019. Cruise Critic described Seattle as “the perfect Pacific Northwest jump-off to the Last Frontier,” praising the free Port Valet for passengers and its plans to open an environmentally friendly terminal in 2023. “We thank Cruise Critic for their award for Best Homeport 2019, this is a huge honor for the Port of Seattle,” said Port Commissioner Ryan Calkins. “We’ve worked hard each year to welcome cruise…