International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) said on Sunday the Cavite Gateway Terminal (CGT) is ready to be an alternative for transporting containers to the Port of Manila, as the government closed for four months the southbound portion of Roxas Boulevard.
ICTSI EVP Christian R. Gonzales said locators and truck operators from Calabarzon may opt for CGT instead of directly bringing their containers to Manila, given the expected heavy traffic due to the closure of a portion of Roxas Boulevard, a cargo truck trade route connecting the Port of Manila to Southern Luzon.
Close to 900 trucks and over 1,000 trailers daily travel the road’s southbound direction alone.
“We support the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s [MMDA] call to look for other ways to transport containers, and we are happy to be able to offer an alternative through the services provided by CGT,” Gonzales said in a statement.
The MMDA recently announced the closure of the southbound lanes of Roxas Boulevard, as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) repairs a damaged box culvert in front of a pumping station in Pasay City.
CGT utilizes the sea lanes of Manila Bay to help locators bring their containers to the Port of Manila. It is a dedicated container barge terminal located in Tanza, Cavite.
Gonzales said CGT is ready to accommodate the container traffic given that ICTSI recently beefed up its yard and wharf operations with the deployment of landside container handling equipment as well as directly contracted barge equipment.
With an area of six hectares, the CGT has the capacity to handle 115,000 TEUs annually.
“As the country begins to re-open its economy, we shall continue to support the country’s importers and exporters not only through enhancements in our operated terminals, but also through practical solutions and alternatives for our importers and exporters,” Gonzales said.
CGT, he added, offers locators faster, cost- effective maritime links for international cargo and supports domestic cargo movements between Luzon and other islands of the Philippine archipelago.
Image credits: www.ictsi.com