LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / March 29, 2000

RESERVE – Two massive orange additions to the Reserve landscape are in place at the Port of South Louisiana’s general cargo dock near West 10th Street and River Road.

Each of the Manitowac gantry cranes, with a 140-foot boom and a 100-foot radius, are capable of lifting 150 tons of cargo each, Patrick Dufresne of the port office said. Total cost of the cranes was $3.2 million.The new cranes are part of the latest phase of the general cargo dock improvements, which also included expansion of the dock to 204 feet wide by 690 feet long, making it capable of handling larger-draft vessels and barges.

Dufresne said the addition of the two cranes will allow the port to dramatically increase the volume and speed up turnaround time of vessels transferring goods to and from the Globalplex port facility.

This is only a part of a $30 million massive upgrade at Globalplex which will greatly change the face of the former Godchaux-Henderson Sugar Refinery.

Also in progress are the addition of new upriver and downriver mooring dolphins, access ramp and truck-turning improvements and 190,000 square feet of open lay-down storage area inside the security fence along West 10th Street.

Demolition of the remaining sugar refinery buildings is also planned this year.

Future facilities to be built in the next phase include landside and on-dock transit sheds, expected to begin construction by September.

During the next 10 years Globalplex plans extensive additions and renovations to keep the Port of South Louisiana a world-class port, including warehouses and road improvements.

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