Left photo: Rex Huffman, Northern Wood County Port Authority, commented that an announcement for the Liberty High Road overpass project should be coming very soon. He also commended the Henry Township Trustees (John Stewart, Jim Wymer and Jay Baltz - who were in attendance - but the picture came out "not good") regarding their efforts in the processes regarding the CSX Intermodal Yard.
Right photo: Rusty Orben, an Public Relations Manger of Ohio for CSX, gave a very interesting slide presentation, showing the maps and statistics, that portend the potential for their company, our area and the entire country with the building of this "one of a kind" freight handling facility.

Orben shared that this intermodal yard is going to be four times larger than any existing intermodal yard in the U. S. The Northwest Ohio Terminal is going to be the most technologically advanced intermodal yard in the world, as well as one of the "greenest."

One of the main developments that will drive volume to 750,000 truckload units per year west of NB, is the expansion of the Panama Canal, which is scheduled for completion in 2014. This volume is expected to result in around 2,600 new jobs in the next ten years. There will be approximately 200 workers actually employed at the facility.


Panama Canal Expansion should be completed no later than 2015.


With the canal expansion, huge container ships will pass from the Pacific, east into the Atlantic, and up to east coast ports. These containers will then ship west through CSX's National Gateway Project, via intermodal. This will be a three-way intermodal system, with shipping, rail freight and the trucking industry combining for the most efficient means of transporting goods throughout the United States.

Wood County Commissioner Jim Carter might have summed it up best saying, "Isn't it amazing that we are talking about the Panama Canal expansion, at the same time that we are talking about North Baltimore, Henry Township and Wood County and the impact that our area will have on the United States!"

For more information on the Panamal Canal visit: http://www.pancanal.com/eng/index.html or for a detailed study of the effects of the expansion visit: http://www.pancanal.com/eng/index.html.