STOCKTON, Calif. — New state funding is slated to clear the way for significant infrastructure upgrades at the Port of Stockton, which could impact the nation's economy, the port's director Kirk DeJesus says.
California's Transportation Agency awarded the port $45.9 million to complete its Rail Infrastructure Improvement for Sustainability Exports Project.
"For us, it's great. It takes us into the realm of a large port and that gives us some different funding options," said DeJesus. "It makes us a net export port which is great... something that we want to be and that's good for the state of California and the country as a whole."
The project is a small part of a larger infrastructure improvement plan expected to cost $280 million. Port officials will assess the new funds and make final plans for the project with construction expected to begin within the next year.
"Right now, we have 75 miles of track inside the port, but we only have one entrance and it's a single track," said DeJesus. "This will allow us to dual-track that long lead, a large portion of the track that feeds into the port and also the rail bridge (that connects) the two islands."
According to DeJesus, the existing rail bridge is single-track and 100 years old. With more imports and exports arriving and leaving via the new railways, the port expects to reduce truck traffic on neighboring streets.
The improvements to the aging infrastructure should allow the port's export volume of the critical compound, sodium carbonate, to double.
"This could effectively double our volume, which is massive, obviously and the amount of railcar traffic that we will see is going to increase significantly," said DeJesus. "That is used in making flat glass, glass products, lithium batteries-- things like that. So it's critical. Doubling that volume obviously brings jobs, it brings stability to the port, and brings a diversity of commodities to us as well."
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