Page 38: of Marine News Magazine (February 2018)

37 39

INLAND PORT DEVELOPMENT facilities include a 60-ton dual-lift overhead crane fully inte- (Planned) Growth grated to transload between barge, rail and truck, public piers

In 2017, the three Ports of Indiana handled 11.8 mil- equipped for transloading bulk products and heavy lift cargo lion tons of cargo shipments, the second highest total in and a coal terminal with 8 million tons of annual capacity. the Port’s history. Coal, steel, fertilizer, ethanol and project

Importantly, the Port has eight miles of interior rail track pro- cargo were key items. The 2017 numbers are an increase of vides links to ? ve Class I railroads. It’s no surprise, then, that 5% over the previous year and 9% over the previous 5-year 6,140,964 tons of cargo rolled through this inland hub 2015.

average. The current 5-year average is up 50% vs. the pre-

But, Indiana has other big ports, too. Indiana Harbor, in vious 5-year average:

East Chicago, IN, for example, is the second ranking harbor • Average tons/year 2013-2017: 10.8 million tons.

in volume among the 55 Great Lakes Federal commercial har- • Average tons/year 2008-2012: 7.3 million tons.

bors, according to World Port Source. Indiana Harbor han-

Port of? cials are optimistic that they can keep these dled 12,354,161 tons in 2015, according to ACE. Just eight numbers trending in the right direction. Jody Peacock, Vice nautical miles west of Burns Harbor sits the port of Gary. President, told MarineNews that his team projects contin-

Gary handled 8,669,252 tons in 2015. All that said; Indiana ued growth as shipping volumes are closely tied to the Port’s

Harbor and Gary are not part of the Ports of Indiana system.

important regional market sectors – agriculture, domestic

February 2018

MN 38