Oakland Will Open a New Intermodal Yard, Portland Wont

After three years of groundwork, the Port of Oakland will take over the former Oakland Army Base property and create the Outer Harbor Intermodal Terminal (OHIT), an intermodal rail facility aimed at allowing shorter container transfer times, increased throughput and a reduction in truck traffic in and around the Port.

The facility comes through a collaborative effort between the Port of Oakland, Oakland Base Reuse Authority, Oakland Redevelopment Agency and the State Lands Commission. An estimate of the value of construction and other jobs related to the development of OHIT and other maritime support facilities is $50 million over the life of the projects.

The Port has undertaken a number of improvements to handle the increasing growth of international trade. The Port’s executive director, Jerry Bridges, notes that, “By reconfiguring our seaport and constructing a new intermodal rail yard on the former army base site, we are taking much-need additional steps to maintain our position as the nation’s 4^th busiest container port in the U.S.”

The plan now is to develop the property as an industrial site after annexing other property that belongs to neighboring cities. Site use is expected to be a mix of manufacturing and distribution. Development is anticipated to take between two and three years after final acquisition of all property.