The Port of Seattle is currently looking into a $200 million modernisation programme that would see its Terminal 5 able to dock more mega-ships, after having recently released a draft environmental impact statement for the plan, according to Kiro Seatle.
John Creighton, President of the Port of Seattle Commission, said: “We have to be at the top of our game if we hope that the Puget Sound will continue to be a competitive gateway. It's a constant arms race in the industry.”
Creighton said modernising Terminal 5 would be vital for moving with the current trends for the increase in ship sizes, with a fleet that is consolidating into fewer but larger vessels.
PTI previously reported that the Port of Seattle had completed its alliance with the Port of Tacoma, which is anticipated to double cargo volumes by 2026 and allow both ports to compete with nearby Canadian ports.
The two ports argued that in order to be competitive with rivals, they must spend hundreds of millions on its port facilities.
This was followed by news that it would require US$1 billion in investments over the next decade if it is to be able to compete for global cargo traffic.
The most recent upgrade between both ports came when they announced multi-million dollar upgrades in order to allow two ships to dock simultaneously.
With the Panama Canal opening on June 26, 2016, US ports have been scrambling to upgrade facilities in a bid to accommodate the anticipated increase in container volumes.
