UP begins $90 million Port Laredo expansion

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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Between 2014 and 2040, freight moving in Texas is projected to nearly double, from two billion tons to more than 3.75 billion tons. A state advisory committee warned that such an extreme increase could worsen an already congested state highway system and alternative modes, such as rail, will be more important than ever if the state is to remain economically competitive.

 

Union Pacific says the message was heard loud and clear and the railroad has invested more than $2.8 billion in its 6,310-mile rail network in the Lone Star State since 2009. Current UP construction projects include improvements at Houston, the Dallas/Fort Worth area, San Antonio and further south to Eagle Pass; however, one of the biggest projects, announced last month, is in Laredo, where UP operates one of the only intermodal facilities that services business on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border.

About $280 billion in U.S. trade with Mexico annually crosses through the Laredo Customs District. UP’s Port Laredo Intermodal Ramp sees a great deal of that traffic. So much so that UP is investing $90 million to expand the facility.

In the first phase of the two-phase project, which is already under way, a new, state-of-the-art entrance is being built that allows for secure, 24/7 operation. Phase two involves increasing the facility’s footprint by more than 37 acres, essentially doubling its size and, in turn, doubling the number of truckloads Port Laredo can handle.

UP will watch how customers use the facility during the project’s initial phase and will apply those observations during the expansion phase in an effort to make Port Laredo more efficient.

Kansas City Southern has also been recently investing in the Laredo region, as it announced this spring that it planned for $18 million in construction and improvement projects in its Laredo subdivision from Laredo to Corpus Christi, Texas.

KCS work included installation of approximately 80,000 crossties; replacement of approximately six miles of rail; enhancements to approximately 177 road crossings and structural steel improvements at the International Bridge at Laredo.

 

 

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