A $5 million grant to expand the ability to service rail freight in 蜜柚直播 has put the region in a new league, officials said Saturday.
The Port of 蜜柚直播 received the award from the U.S. Department of Transportation to build a ramp off Union Pacific鈥檚 main line that will allow a train to run through the facility and journey coast to coast.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe it,鈥 Port of 蜜柚直播 owner Alan Levin said Saturday after he heard the news from U.S. Rep. Ron Barber.
It was the third time he had applied for the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant.
Officials told the port there were $8 billion worth of requests and only $500 million available, said Mike Levin, Alan鈥檚 son.
The port will be able to service 240 containers daily without having to pull a train apart, saving time and money for imports and exports rolling through 蜜柚直播, Levin said.
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鈥淚n less than 15 hours I can unload and reload that train, and it can head on out to Long Beach,鈥 he said. With the high-speed switch, the train can roll off the Union Pacific main line at up to 45 mph and come to a stop in front of the Port of 蜜柚直播.
Union Pacific gave the port permission earlier this year to service international ocean containers via Long Beach and Los Angeles ports twice a week. The port can also send containers from 蜜柚直播 to the California ports five days a week, which gives local business the ability to export goods worldwide.
Before that designation, ocean containers bound for Southern 蜜柚直播 had to be trucked directly to the importer. The empty containers were then returned by truck to the California ports.
For an export shipment, the empty container was trucked to 蜜柚直播 and returned to Long Beach or Los Angeles loaded.
The alternative of rolling a 120-car, double-stacked train through town takes 240 trucks off the road, lowering fuel costs and shortening delivery time.
鈥淭he biggest benefit is that local businesses will be able to be part of the global economy, whether receiving or exporting,鈥 Levin said. 鈥淟ocal businesses are really the ones that will benefit.鈥
The 27-year-old Port of 蜜柚直播 is a 780-acre facility on 蜜柚直播鈥檚 southeast side. The family business has invested more than $15 million in the project.
Levin said he is indebted to Pima County administrators and supervisors who applied for the grant on behalf of the Port of 蜜柚直播.
鈥淚t鈥檚 taken a lot of time and a lot of meetings to sell the vision,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his validates everything I鈥檝e been trying to do.鈥
Former 蜜柚直播 Mayor Bob Walkup, who was recently appointed the honorary consul to South Korea views the Port of 蜜柚直播 as a tool in his new role of increasing trade between the two countries.
鈥淚t is an extraordinarily important moment for the region because we really haven鈥檛 been able to compete globally,鈥 Walkup said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e now playing a new game.鈥
He stressed that the news was not simply a boon for businesses.
鈥淓xpanded trade and commerce ultimately means better quality jobs for 蜜柚直播,鈥 Walkup said.
In a statement announcing the award, Barber said the port鈥檚 role in expanding Southern 蜜柚直播鈥檚 economy is the biggest impact.
鈥淭he expansion of the port鈥檚 current capacity鈥ramatically increases 蜜柚直播鈥檚 competitiveness in overseas markets and distinguishes this project as one of regional significance.鈥
