Colombo port has begun building a facility for export containers north of the habour that will help reduce congestion and provide more space for its main transhipment business, reported Asia Pulse.

Sri Lanka Ports Authority chairman Priyath Wickrama said it has acquired land for the cargo village at Peliyagoda, a suburb just north of the port.

"In future, we're going to have a container reception and delivery facility there after which we will not allow boxes inside the port," Wickrama told a seminar organised by the import section of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce on opportunities in port development.

"We will receive all export boxes to this yard and after that we'll handle them via a rail link to the port terminals," Wickrama said.

"We have acquired the land and the railway department is now doing the trace work. The soil condition is not that good and needs improvement."

After completion of the rail link the SLPA is also going to start warehouses at the facility and shift many activities now being done inside the port to provide more space and reduce congestion.

"Most of the activity now done inside the port like warehousing, cargo consolidation and vehicle parking will be shifted to the new cargo village," said Wickrama.

"After that the port will be free for port-related operations."

Wickrama said container volumes at Colombo were growing rapidly and the port was nearing its maximum capacity.

Source: CargonewsAsia