Port of Boston Conley Container Terminal, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

The Port of Boston’s Paul W. Conley Container Terminal (Conley Terminal), which is owned and operated by the Massachusetts’ Port Authority (Massport), is New England’s largest full-service container port. 

Conley Terminal is capable of serving large ships in the Port of Boston and plays a significant role in the regional economy by moving roughly one-third of New England cargo. Thirteen of the world’s top fifteen ocean carriers call on Conley, providing service on three major trade lanes, including Asia, Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. Key containerized cargos include seafood, beer/wine, footwear, apparel, furniture, wastepaper, and scrap metal.

In 2018, Conley Terminal saw record-breaking growth with a 10% increase in container volume, setting a new record of more than 280,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) shipped through the terminal with truck turn times averaging less than 40 minutes. Of the approximately 100 acres encompassed by Conley Terminal, approximately 60 acres are currently used for containerized cargo operations. An additional approximately 30 acres are set aside for reefers and equipment repair and storage. Conley Terminal currently features 1,950 ft. of continuous berth (berths 11-12). Located in South Boston, Conley Terminal moves New England’s goods to market with speed and efficiency, ensuring that the region’s 14 million consumers have the products they need, when they need them. Ongoing investments in equipment, dock improvements and a more than $310 million investment in dredging will ensure that Conley Terminal remains competitive in the future.

Jacobs has been supporting Massport since 2011 with their recent and ongoing projects to modernize and expand the capacity of Conley Terminal, including, the Conley Terminal Dedicated Freight Corridor (CDFC) and Buffer Open Space Project; a new Berth 10; new refrigerated container racks; yard expansion; new container handling equipment; software and systems upgrades; new truck gates to reduce congestion and increase capacity, and a number of other enhancements. These projects will ensure that Conley Terminal remains competitive in the future, can accommodate the region’s growing cargo demand, and is a good neighbor to the South Boston community.

Conley Terminal Master Plan

Jacobs, as Halcrow, provided master planning, port planning, design, and underwater inspection services to Massport for the expansion of the Conley Container Terminal. The overall objective of the $35 million project was to expand port operations to the adjacent property, optimize port operations, develop a long-term growth and operations plan, and to design a haul road, The Thomas J. Butler Dedicated Freight Corridor & Memorial Park, to remove truck traffic from East First Street and surrounding residential streets in South Boston.

We prepared a long-term terminal Master Plan for CCT, which provided the rest of the design team with information to size, design, and permit the entire project, as well as for Massport to plan future projects. The Master Plan evaluated how to best expand existing operations at CCT into the recently acquired Coastal Oil property; maximize the throughput through CCT; provide an optimized terminal layout for the existing footprint, including buildings, gates, and traffic; and incorporate the new haul road and buffer zone. The recommendations were provided in a phased manner in order to allow continued unhindered operations and to fit into Massport’s capital budget program.

Follow on work included:

• A high-level study of the current and future electrical demands of Conley Terminal.
• An assessment of the new Passport container scanning facility and the incorporation into the new Dedicated Freight Corridor and Haul Road.
• Development of high-level cost estimates and additional planning documents to support Massport Maritime’s Division’s long term strategic and capital planning efforts, including additional alternatives for the expansion of Conley into the former Coastal Oil site and construction of a new Berth 10.

Conley Container Terminal Air Draft Analysis

Jacobs, as Halcrow, assisted Massport with studying the impacts of proposed stringent ICAO and FAA flight glide path requirements for Logan Airport on existing and proposed operations.

The terminal currently features six sliding boom low-profile ship-to-shore gantry cranes, which would interfere with the proposed flight glide path for Logan’s Runway 22R along a majority of the existing berth. Jacobs prepared a variety of options, including procuring different types of cranes, restricting the use of various cranes on segments of berth, and the construction of a new berth out of the restrictions. 

The study analyzed operational impacts of each of these alternatives on terminal and vessel operations. Jacobs also considered Massport’s master plan and long-term strategic plans to ensure the most effective result. 

The results of the study are being used in discussions regarding strategic planning and long-term budgeting across various Massport departments and support Massport’s Maritime Group’s goal of continued successful operation of Conley Terminal.

Conley Container Terminal Strategic Planning

Jacobs, as Halcrow, developed concepts and provided the feasibility of a new container berth at Conley Terminal on the former Coastal Oil site, including air draft restrictions from the nearby Logan Airport, the cost to rehabilitate existing wharf structures, current expansion plans, and operational improvements. 

Jacobs prepared multiple options for new berths and upland terminals. The berth options considered 9,000 and 12,000 TEU container vessels, which are larger than currently call on Conley. As part of the study, Jacobs considered different berth lengths, offsets, and locations, as well as required and recommended upgrades to existing operational and non-operational berths. It also reviewed various dredging scenarios, prepared cost estimates, highlighted navigational impacts with the Black Falcon terminal across the Reserved Channel, and prepared layouts for how the new berth would fit into the existing terminal and ongoing construction projects, such as the Haul Road project, Main Power Express, and Passport. The study evaluated phasing and relocation of various tenants to ensure that Massport and tenant operations could continue unhindered.

The results of the study were fed into Massport’s long term capital plans to ensure enough funding is allocated to Conley Terminal in the future. Jacobs prepared multiple updates to the study as Massport’s strategic plan evolved.

Conley Container Terminal New Gate Processing Facilities

The $34 million New Truck Gate Processing Facilities Project, which is funded by a USDOT FASTLANE grant, provides for the design and construction of a new one-stage, completely remote operation that incorporates state-of-the-art gate processing technology to increase the terminal throughput and optimize traffic flow. The proposed location is consistent with the current plan for long-range terminal expansion (the master plan was developed by Jacobs). In combination with the Conley Terminal Dedicated Freight Corridor (CFFC) (Jacobs was also on the design team), the new gate areas will create an updated traffic pattern within the terminal. This new flow will have trucks entering and exiting from the western side of the terminal and flowing in a counter-clockwise pattern once inside the facility. The easterly placement of the one-stage in-gate allows for maximum truck queuing on the CDFC within the terminal footprint. This eliminates any truck congestion or noise on local neighborhood roads and improves access and quality of life for nearby residents.

The new advanced automated/remotely gates also allows for maximization of container storage space on the terminal. Before exiting, the trucks will pass through the new out-gate area at the western end of the terminal. In addition to streamlining terminal traffic flow, the gate processing areas increase safety by separating terminal staff vehicles from trucks hauling containers. The new gate processing facilities will have additional security provisions to allow for increased safety and operational efficiency within the terminal. The new infrastructure and gate-processing configuration also sets the stage for a future appointment system. This system will allow truckers to schedule pick-up and delivery of containers, providing a more evenly distributed traffic flow.

Jacobs’ scope consists of 1) Updating the Terminal Master Plan; 2) Developing a model to size the new gates; 3) Supporting Massport with selection of the hardware and software vendors; 4) Interface with CPB and other stakeholders; 5) Supporting MPA with permitting and approvals; 6) Providing preliminary design and cost estimates; 7) Detailed engineering design; and 8) Bid and construction support

Conley Terminal Wi-Fi and Lighting Improvements 

Jacobs designed a new outdoor port-wide Wi-Fi communications system, for use by Massport operations, to integrate with and enhance the terminal operating systems. Jacobs conducted a Radio Frequency (RF) study and drafted a recommendations report early in the process. Plans were then developed which included new fiber optic cabling to support Wi-Fi access points on High Mast light poles, nomadic access points on Rubber Tire Gantry (RTG) and Ship to Shore (STS) cranes to augment signal strength in problem areas, and redundant central control systems to manage network performance. Electrical designs were included to upgrade all the existing High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting on High Mast light poles to new efficient LED lighting with enhanced wireless lighting control. 

Conley Terminal Security System 

Jacobs designed a detection system based on proven technology to detect vessels within the area of the Conley and Black Falcon Cruise Terminal. Jacobs’ engineers provided a technology assessment on various radar-based systems. The chosen solution that met the requirements of vessel detection also included an IT based system that integrated with current IT infrastructure and security requirements. The design included incorporating IP based thermal and Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) cameras designed specifically for tracking vessels. The system included an operator console to monitor vessel activity and alert operators on system alerts and events. The system is configurable for many different modes of operation based on the current security program. The design included site assessment and installation of new equipment on new equipment structures and facilities. Structural analysis was performed on new poles to ensure the strict requirements of the equipment were met. In addition to the structural design the following additional engineering tasks were performed; site civil construction, electrical design, system integration and system acceptance testing. 

Camera Intrusion Detection and Reporting System (CIDRS) Data Collection & Infrastructure Design 

As part of Massport’s goal to continue to enhance the overall security of their facilities, Jacobs provided engineering support for the installation of the CIDRS system. Specialized CCTV cameras were installed around the perimeter of Logan International Airport and are scheduled to be installed at some of Massport’s Maritime facilities. For this project, Jacobs first collected data as to the existing infrastructure (electrical, communications, site/civil, and structure) in the area of the proposed CCTV placement. Jacobs also coordinated with ADT Security Systems – the supplier of the cameras and the overall security system – to determine their infrastructure needs at each of the proposed sites. Armed with each individual site characteristics, Jacobs developed construction documents for the installation of the required infrastructure to support the overall system installation and integration. During the design, certain aspects of the project were removed from ADT’s original scope of work and given to Jacobs to design and incorporate into their construction documents. The construction of the required infrastructure for Logan Airport was completed during the summer of 2008. 

Airspace Analysis – Conley Terminal Tower Cranes 

Massport proposed that improvements be made at the Conley Terminal located just to the south of Logan Airport. As part of these improvements, larger tower cranes to aid in offloading the shipping containers were requested. The position of the larger cranes with respect to the imaginary surfaces that extend from Logan’s runways were a concern. As part of this Work Order, Jacobs plotted the location of the cranes versus the different FAA airspace surfaces over the Conley Terminal to determine what, if any, impact would arise. Armed with this information, Massport was able to make an informed decision.