Port of Virginia sets November record, set to begin infrastructure improvements

NORFOLK, Va. — Author’s note: The video above is on file from October 28, 2020.

The Port of Virginia set new records in November while also focusing on important infrastructure projects that will increase quantity and efficiency.

According to a release, this November was the highest of any November in the history of the port. The port had a total of 290,759 cargo units, which is up nearly four percent in comparison to November of 2020.

In October of this year, the Port of Virginia set its largest record of all time, which included more than 318,000 cargo units.

“We had a productive November in terms of volume, but equally important is that we now have a clear path forward on expanding our rail capacity at NIT and that effort will be underway shortly,” said Stephen A. Edwards, the CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority. “The completion of the railyard expansion is timed to support the opening of the new deeper, wider channel and both of those projects will be in place and ready support the expansion of NIT’s North Berth.”

When the rail capacity project is completed, the Central Rail Yard will be able to handle 610,000 container lifts in comparison, which is almost double the size of the current 350,000 capacity, according to the release.

The expansion project is set to begin in February of this upcoming year and will be completed in late 2023. An additional project to widen and deepen the channel will be completed by 2024.

“In a little more than two years The Port of Virginia will be served by the deepest and widest ship channel anywhere on the US East Coast,” Edwards said. Pairing that channel depth with modern terminals and a significant increase in double-stack, on-dock rail capacity is going to attract big ships and more cargo volume. We are going to need the rail capacity to support the additional cargo we’ll be getting from this shift of big vessels to Virginia.”