Crowley Invests in Puerto Rico Terminal Improvements

Crowley Puerto Rico announced Monday that it will be making an additional $21 million in infrastructure improvements at its port terminal at Isla Grande in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The scope of work includes expanded capacity for reefer containers, 15 acres of paving for container stacking, a new electrical substation for powering cranes, a seven lane terminal exit gate and the infrastructure for a new terminal software system. The contract for the work was awarded to Del Valle Group, a Puerto Rican construction company; it is the third in a series for the terminal in advance of Crowley's new Commitment Class LNG-fueled con/ro ships, which are currently under construction at VT Halter in Mississippi. 

“The improvements being made to the terminal will provide customers with faster gate times and overall shorter turn times for truckers in and out of the terminal. The overall improved efficiency we will be able to achieve will further enhance the excellent service our customers already receive . . . This type of direct investment in Puerto Rico is something very few companies are able to deliver," said Jose “Pache” Ayala, Crowley vice president, Puerto Rico. 

Other recent investments at the facility include a new $50 million, 900-foot concrete pier and three new container gantry cranes. “This contract represents the last major contract to be awarded in our half-a-billion-dollar investment in our Puerto Rico Jones Act service,” said John Hourihan, Crowley senior vice president and general manager, Puerto Rico. 

Crowley has served the Puerto Rico market since 1954, longer than any other Jones Act carrier. The company is the largest ocean carrier between the island and the U.S. mainland, with more weekly sailings and more cargo booked than any other line.