APM Terminal Intermodal Accessibility Measure Study Technical Report

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1 APM Terminal Intermodal Accessibility Measure Study Technical Report APM Terminal Prepared for: Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment Prepared by: Michael Baker Inc., CDM Smith Inc., Renaissance Planning Group

2 Project Description Michael Baker Jr., Inc. (along with CDM Smith Inc., and Renaissance Planning Group) is under contract with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment (OIPI) to study the accessibility of multiple intermodal sites throughout the state. The purpose of this document is to present the technical analysis associated with the recommendations associated with the APM Terminal Intermodal Center, located in Portsmouth, Virginia. Intermodal Center Description The APM Terminal Intermodal Center, located in Portsmouth, VA, opened in 2007 as the first major private container terminal in the United States and is the most automated, most technologically advanced marine terminal in the country. Capable of handling over 2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually, the APM Terminal is currently operated by Virginia International Terminals, Inc. The APM Terminal is already a critical part of the Port of Virginia and will become an even more important component of the overall freight movement along the East Coast in the near future. This terminal was designed to handle the larger post-panamax cargo ships that will be operational after the widening of the Panama Canal is completed in APM Terminal and Norfolk International Terminal are the only two ports on the east coast able to accommodate the larger deep-water post-panamax vessels. The APM Terminal is situated just south of the Craney Island US Naval Reservation in Hampton Roads, one of the world s largest natural harbors. Access to the area is largely provided by VA 164, also referred to as the Western Freeway. The APM Terminal is located four miles from I-664 and about 20 miles from I-64. Exhibit 1 provides the location of the APM Terminal Intermodal Center. Exhibit 1: Location Map APM Terminal Technical Report Draft 1

3 Modal Access The APM Terminal is an important hub of freight activity along the eastern coast of the United States as over two million TEUs of cargo annually are transferred by boat to rail and truck. Rail The APM Terminal has six on-dock rail loading tracks with storage for 48 double-stack rail cars. These rail loading tracks directly connect to both CSX and Norfolk Southern via the Commonwealth Railway, a Class III short-line railroad, which runs along the median of VA 164. Both CSX & Norfolk Southern are Class I railroads that provide freight goods movement to the Midwest and beyond. Vehicular The APM terminal has 12 inbound and 12 outbound truck gate lanes. APM Terminals Boulevard connects to VA 164 via a diamond interchange. VA 164, in turn, is a four-lane limited access highway that connects to the Hampton Roads Beltway (I-64 and I-664) and other inland points to the west. Bicycle and Pedestrian The APM Terminal is a heavily industrialized area; as a result, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure is understandably limited. Traffic Analysis According to the Re-Evaluation of the Hampton Roads Crossing Study FEIS Segments 1 & 3, VA 164 had a peak hour level of service (LOS) of A in the year However, this is expected to degrade and reach LOS D or worse by the year While truck traffic on most other freeways in Hampton Roads has been in the decline due to the downturn in the economy, truck traffic on the Western Freeway, VA 164, has been growing. According to the Hampton Roads Regional Freight Study, truck traffic has increased 46% from Furthermore, there was an 18% increase in truck traffic on VA 164 between 2006 and 2007, which was the first year APM Terminal was operational. According to the 2012 Hampton Roads Regional Freight Study, between 2009 and 2011, approximately 5% of all traffic on VA 164 is truck traffic. The Regional Freight Study also examined weekday truck delays and found that weekday truck delays immediately west of the APM Terminals Boulevard total fewer than 5 hours, while the section of VA 164 from the APM Terminal to Martin Luther King Boulevard (the Midtown Tunnel) experiences delays of greater than 15 hours. 1 Future Site Improvements The following improvements have been identified by area plans and are either currently underway or suggested for study to develop potential solutions for future growth. These projects are not part of this study and are for informational purposes only. 1 Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization. September Hampton Roads Regional Freight Study 2012 Update. Retrieved online at: APM Terminal Technical Report Draft 2

4 Sound wall installation SAFETEA-LU funding is being used to install sound walls along VA 164 and the APM Terminal to reduce roadway noise in nearby residences. APM Terminal Expansion Phase 1 of the APM Terminal Expansion has been completed and Phase 2 construction is expected to begin by Work is currently underway to evaluate automating the rail yard as a precursor to Phase 2. This work will increase the terminal s capacity to handle rail from 22% to over 40%. Recommendations Because the APM Terminal Intermodal Center is specialized in the movement of freight and cargo goods, recommendations center on improving vehicular, rail, and shipping capacity to continue the Port of Virginia s economic growth in Hampton Roads. The heavily industrial nature of this intermodal center precludes recommendations on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure as these types of solutions would be impractical at an intermodal freight center such as the APM Terminal. Short-Term Recommendations There are no short-term recommendations developed for this study. Most projects that increase freight mobility through additional rail capacity or increased roadway capacity for heavy vehicles are high capital projects that require detailed studies. The Virginia Port Authority s 2040 Master Plan (2008) provides a long range plan for meeting future needs. Potential Long-Term Solutions Long-term improvements have been identified from Comprehensive Plans or other long-range document and are higher cost projects that require more detailed study. These projects are high capital cost projects that are currently under study or under construction and are not recommendations developed for this study. They have been identified in the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization s Long Range Transportation Plan. Exhibit 2 identifies the projects. As stated in the Reevaluation of Hampton Roads Crossing Study (HRCS) FEIS: Candidate Build Alternative CBA 9- Segments 1 & 3 (2012), Linking port facilities to the transportation network is required to improve the efficient transfer of goods and to maintain the economic growth and vitality of the port facilities. 2 As such, the recommendations to improve the APM Terminal Intermodal Center include the following: 1) Construct Patriots Crossing, a new bridge-tunnel and roadway that would connect the Monitor- Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel to I-564 in Norfolk. 2) Construct the Craney Island Road and Rail Connector to increase the APM Terminal s direct road access to VA 164 and provide greater rail access via VA 164 s its double stack median rail facilities. The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization s fiscally constrained Long Range Transportation Plan identifies Craney Island Road and Rail Connector as the number one construction priority for intermodal projects. It is a regionally-funded construction project. 2 US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration and Virginia Department of Transportation. 30 November Environmental Assessment Reevaluation of Hampton Roads Crossing Study FEIS: Candidate Build Alternative CBA 9 Segments 1 & 3 (locally referred to as Patriot s Crossing). APM Terminal Technical Report Draft 3

5 Exhibit 2: Intermodal Center Recommendations Estimated Project Costs Due to the large scale of the recommendations, project cost estimates are provided as stated in planning documents from VDOT and the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization. Table 1: Estimated Project Costs Long-Term Recommendations and Estimated Project Costs Recommended Action (Source) Benefit Cost 1 Construct Patriot s Crossing (CBA 9 Segment 1) (Hampton Roads Crossing Study) Increase overall availability of freight movement to and from APM Terminal $2.9 Billion (Under Study) 2 Construct Craney Island Road and Rail Connector (CBA 9 Segment 3) (Hampton Roads Crossing Study) Increases roadway and rail capacity to move freight from marine terminals to markets $550 Million (funded) Note: Costs shown are planning level estimates, not design level estimates, as they do not include associated constructability, engineering, and inspection (CDI) and contingency costs, among others. Long Term Development As the Port of Virginia continues to grow and evolve as a high-tech, high capacity freight movement center, it will be important to continue to increase the number and type of shipping facilities at this location. To this end, the Virginia Port Authority, together with the US Army Corps of Engineers, plans on constructing the Craney Island Marine Terminal, a $2.2 billion multiphase project that will yield a 600-acre facility with an on-terminal intermodal container transfer facility. The final capacity of the Craney Island Marine Terminal is 5 million TEUs. APM Terminal Technical Report Draft 4

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