This is the first of a series of posts regarding the Inland Port efforts in Southern Arizona. We welcome everyone's imput provided it is positive in nature, constructive criticism is welcome.
A number of groups/organizations are working together to make this a reality including the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities (TREO), the City of Tucson, Pima Association of Governments (PAG) and the Port of Tucson ( the provately owned Union Pacific Railroad (UP) ramp. I will post websites for all these groups and contacts in my next post.
The Inland Port is not one spot on the map but a number of locations in the region. The first thing that comes into most peoples mind when they hear the word port is water. An inland port is a convergence of road, rail and air. Tucson is ideally situated for an inland port with highway access via Interstates 10 and 19, rail access on the Union Pacific line running from Los Angeles to Dallas/Forth Worth and Houston. Tucson also is on the rail line running south to Nogales where it connects to Ferromex's line along the west cost of Mexico. Tucson International Airport is close to both I10 and I19 for moving airfreight.
Currently there are companies moving goods that arrived from offshore via ocean container at the Port of LA and are moved to Laredo, TX; south into Mexico and back west to the Mexican West coast. Obviously using Tucson to handle this traffic will save both time and money which are commodities the business community is seeking.
Tucson is the gateway to the west coast of Mexico, 60 miles north of the border. The future for Tucson is looking bright. Target has recently made Tucson the home of it's second U.S. Internet fulfillment center. With the increase in jobs and growth in the economy, Tucson will be recognized for it's big business attitude. This expansion will lead to a larger international market.
We are seeking developments that enhance the infrastructure in Southern Arizona.
Please let us know your thoughts and information about your inland ports
1 comment:
The Port of Tucson
Thank you John for the opportunity to comment on the Port of Tucson as part of your Blog on Tucson's Inland Port effort.
As you mentioned, the Port of Tucson is a privately owned rail facility in Southeast Tucson connected to Union Pacific's mainline. Located 1.5 miles north of Interstate 10 on Kolb road, we provide the connection between Rail and Truck transportation in southern Arizona.
During our 3 years of operation we have provided this Rail to Truck connection for intermodal shipments, automobiles, military trains, steel, lumber, sheetrock, beer from Mexico, and other commodities. As a contractor to Union Pacific, we 'Go the Last Mile' for the rail freight in southern Arizona.
Our vision since beginning this project in 1997 has been to provide the services of an 'Inland Port' for rail and truck freight. The Port of Tucson began as the 264 acre undeveloped business park named Century Park Research Center that bordered the mainline of what was Southern Pacific Railroad. Since then, Century Park Research Center has expanded to a size of approximately 750 acres with 1.8 million square feet of warehousing and distribution facilities. Our rail infrastructure now includes approximately 4.4 miles of track that connects to the Union Pacific mainline in three spots.
To facilitate our operations at the Port of Tucson, we utilize three locomotives that allow us to provide rail switching services within Century Park. For intermodal freight, our two 75,000 lb. intermodal container handlers facilitate the loading and unloading between rail and truck.
Century Park Research Center adds another valuable component to the Inland Port effort with the Foriegn Trade Zone designation. With this Foreign Trade Zone status, companies shipping or receiving freight from outside of the United States can utilize the tariff and customs benefits that this federal designation provides.
For more information, please visit our website at www.portoftucson.net
Thank You,
Mike Levin
Marketing Director
Port of Tucson
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