New Port Facility Nears Completion

At the East Lagoon on the northern side of the PSA container terminal , two new container berths are now under construction. These berths will cater increased container traffic expected in the next few years.
The first berth will provide a special shore based ramp designed to service the three new vessels of the ANRO Consortium which comprises the Australian National Line, Neptune Orient Lines of Singapore, Australia Straits Container Line and Nedllyod Lines. Completion of the berth is expected by the end of September 1977.
The two berths totalling about S$66 million will be 640 metres in length with two main access bridges linking them to a 19.5 hectare marshalling yard and 10.5 hectares of back up land.
The schedule was 18 months for completion of the first berth and 26 months for the complete project. To date the schedule has been maintained.
Although the extra capacity provided by the 2 berths will help equip the terminal to cater for the estimated growth in container traffic between now and 1980, the project has been designed to be as flexible as possible.
Four 35 tonne portainer cranes purchased at a cost of about SS2.56 million each, plus several transtainer cranes will service the berths.
This equipment combined with the modem gear and design of the vessels will help cater for the growth in cargo traffic by improving turn-around times and collection and delivery of cargo.
The two new berths will be equipped and fully operational by 1979 just about the same time the existing facilities will have reached their optimum capacity.
The construction of the two new berths coincides with the commencement of work on a S$50 million inland container depot at Bukit Timah, about 25 kilometres from the terminal.
Its function will be a container storage area and a break bulk consolidation depot.