Infrastructure Impacts and Operational Requirements Associated with the Next Generation Containerships (Megaships) on the Texas Transportation Systems

摘要

This implementation project was based upon work undertaken as part of the Texas Department of Transportation's Project 0-1833, which assessed containership activity in the Gulf of Mexico. Report 1833-2 addressed an identification process and evaluation framework for Texas Gulf containerports. The report begins by identifying and discussing relevant topics of port development and operations in four general areas: infrastructure demands; environmental constraints; locational attraction and landside access; and port finance. After introducing the issues surrounding these topics, the report proposed a load center selection process suitable for mega-containerships and a container port evaluation process. In its conclusion, the report recommended that these techniques be reviewed and tested on selected Texas ports and the data collected from the implementation be stored and updated in a database maintained for TxDOT's future use. In January 2002, TxDOT approved implementation of the findings from Project 0-1833, specifically in relation to Report 1833-2, and this report addresses the findings of that exercise.