Mega-Container Ship Enters Port of Oakland

The 1,000-foot M/V "Hanjin Dallas," with an 8,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent) capacity entered Port of Oakland estuary to test its recently dredged depths. The Hanjin ship was on its maiden voyage.

The Port of Oakland spent over $800 million in recent years to dredge the harbor to a 50-foot depth and expand its dock facilities, including the installation of 19 high technology stevedore cranes. The port's 'Vision 2000 Program,' was initiated to maintain Oakland's international status as a deepwater port and to handle the growing Asian-Pacific trade that has congested the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

"Everything we've been doing over the last several years has been expressly to keep the Port of Oakland competitive as an international gateway benefiting our region and the nation," said Wilson Lacy, the port's Director of Maritime. "The arrival of the 'Hanjin Dallas' clearly demonstrates that the significant investment we've made in our infrastructure was the right thing to do."