First 13,000 TEU Containership Transits Under New York and New Jersey’s Raised Bayonne Bridge

transits under the Bayonne Bridge upon its arrival at the port of New York and New Jersey, July 17, 2017. Credit: Port of NY & NJ

The 13,208 TEU OOCL Berlin became the largest ship to call at the port of New York and New Jersey when it arrived Monday after transiting under the newly-raised Bayonne Bridge.

OOCL Berlin sailed into Newark Bay docked at Maher Terminals Berth 68 on Monday afternoon.

At 13,208 TEU, the Berlin measures more than 1,200 feet in length. It is now the largest vessel to transit under the Bayonne Bridge, which was only recently raised to a height of 215 feet (65.5 meters) from its original 151 foot (46 meter) vessel passage clearance. Previously, the air draft clearance of the bridge limited the size of ships able to call at the port, but it’s now possible for larger ships to enter Newark Bay without any air draft issues.

OOCL Berlin is operated in a vessel sharing agreement with Ocean Alliance (OA), partners CMA-CGM, COSCO Shipping, and Evergreen.

The Ocean Alliance and other carrier alliances have announced their intention to deploy even larger vessels of up to 18,000 TEUs to the Port of New York and New Jersey as cargo demand grows and as fewer East Coast ports are able to provide infrastructure sufficient to safely handle and work ships of this size.

The Ocean Alliance made its maiden call at the Port of New York and New Jersey this past June with the arrival of the 8,700 TEU capacity CMA CGM Bianca.

Later this summer, the Berlin will be joined by a sister ship of identical size, the OOCL Malaysia.

Three other ships from the same group — the OOCL Korea, the OOCL Chongqing, and the OOCL France — are being considered for future rotation to New York and New Jersey, based on market conditions in the second half of 2017.

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