Before the overpass opened, said Ann Tetreault, port operations manager for Subaru of America Inc., the long trains delayed auto carriers, service and parts trucks, and often prevented Subaru associates from getting to work on time.
“With the opening and use of the Gateway overpass,” said Tetreault, they are enjoying “constant and consistent shipping of Subaru product to dealers.” Additionally, she said, parts get delivered on time and associates no longer have to worry about getting stuck behind 50 to 100 railcars.
Officially known as the “Gateway Avenue Grade Separation project,” the two-lane, 3,100-foot overpass means that port tenants’ and customers’ trucks and cars can now come and go at Terminals 4 and 5, the Subaru facility and the County Corrections facility, unaffected by the increasing train traffic below.
“The new overpass is great,” said Tony Carnera, manager of CalPortland’s Northwest Division. “Our trucks now have direct, unimpeded access to Terminal 4, which not only makes it safer for our drivers, but the reduced travel times are good for business.”
Shuck said the geometry of the overpass was carefully engineered to support current use as well as future port expansion. For example, the bridge’s wide lanes and sweeping curve accommodate the turning radius of 100-foot-long wind energy components entering or leaving the port. Also, said Shuck, the three-span concrete girder design is modular – when the port wants to extend the “loop span,” the extension can be fitted into the existing structure.
“We’re excited. Things are coming together. We’re building it, and business is coming to the port,” added Shuck.
During construction, which began in December 2011, the project generated 174 direct jobs. But more importantly, said Todd Coleman, CEO of the port, the project “moves us closer to completing our WVFA (West Vancouver Freight Access) project, which we expect will create thousands of permanent jobs in our community.”
Originally scheduled to be completed in 2017 as project 19 of the $275 million West Vancouver Freight Access project, construction of the $17.3 million overpass was made possible in part by a $10 million federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) II grant secured by the port in April 2011. Approximately $8.8 million of the TIGER II funds were used to construct the Gateway overpass; the remaining grant funds were used for other rail infrastructure improvements.
“The overpass would not have been possible without the support of our stakeholders and taxpayer partners,” said Shuck. “We’re extremely thankful for the partnership we have with the public and public agencies.”
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