North Star Port Magazine | FAQ | | BUSINESS COMMUNITY INFORMATION CONTACT US Port Operations and Facilities Everything you need to know about the Port of Duluth-Superior. The Port of Duluth-Superior is located at the westernmost tip of Lake Superior and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System. At 2,342 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, it is North America’s farthest-inland freshwater seaport and the Great Lakes’ cargo capital. A nine-mile natural breakwater shelters the port’s 49 miles of harbor frontage. Twenty privately owned bulk cargo docks and an award-winning general cargo terminal populate the working waterfront, along with a marine fueling depot, a shipyard with dry docks, and multiple tug and barge services. Duluth-Superior is a diversified multimodal shipping hub, offering global cargo transport through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, a land-based intermodal cargo terminal, free-flowing major highways and direct Class I rail service to the East, West and Gulf Coasts. Port Facilities Azcon Metals BNSF Railway Dock 5 C. Reiss Terminal CHS Clure Public Marine Terminal CN – Supply Chain Solutions Compass Minerals CRH US DECC Duluth Lake Port Duluth Seaway Port Authority Duluth Storage Erie Pier Fraser Shipyards Gavilon Grain, LLC General Mills Operations, Elevator A General Mills Operations, Elevator S & X Graymont (WI) LLC. Great Lakes Aquarium Hallett Dock 6 Hallett Dock 8 LLC Hansen-Mueller Superior Elevator Lafarge North America, Superior Marine Museum MERC (Superior Midwest Energy Terminal) Northland Pier Superior Refining Co., LLC Duluth Marine Terminal U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USCG Station MSU USCG Station Vista Fleet Wisconsin Central Ltd. / Hallett Dock 5 Working Terminals Clure Public Marine Terminal The Duluth Seaway Port Authority’s Clure Public Marine Terminal is the only breakbulk and general cargo maritime freight facility in the harbor. It covers 120 acres at the center of the Duluth-Superior harbor, with dock faces on three sides at Seaway depth of 27 feet. Whether in- or outbound by water, road or rail, this terminal has facilities, equipment and technology to handle the largest, most complex cargoes with ease. Five general cargo berths; 2,620 linear feet (798.6 meters) of dock wall at Seaway depth On-dock rail with direct access to four Class I rail carriers (BNSF, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Union Pacific) Four tracks along the dock wall for direct cargo transfer between ship/truck/rail Loop track for unit train handling and other transloading options Easy access to three major highway corridors, including Interstate 35 430,000 square feet of warehouse capacity 65+ acres of secure outdoor ground storage for cargo staging/assembly Roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) dock Twin rail-mounted, made-in-Duluth gantry cranes; each 90-ton (81-mt) lift capacity, 130-ton (120-mt) in tandem Equipment for efficient ship loading and discharge Foreign Trade Zone No. 51 Collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the Minnesota State Patrol, specialized trucking companies, escort drivers, rail carriers, manufacturers and freight forwarders The Clure Terminal also includes the CN Duluth Intermodal Terminal, the port’s rail-served, land-based intermodal container hub. This operation is a collaboration between Canadian National and Duluth Cargo Connect, which is the working partnership of the Port Authority and our terminal operator, Lake Superior Warehousing. Duluth Cargo Connect By road, rail or sea, Duluth Cargo Connect offers seamless cargo handling, storage, distribution and transportation logistics services for breakbulk, wind energy, heavy lift and other project cargoes moving in and out of North America’s heartland. Duluth Cargo Connect is a full-service partnership between the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, which owns and maintains the Clure Public Marine Terminal assets, and Lake Superior Warehousing, which operates the assets as the Port Authority’s agent. This working partnership connects the region to the world as a multimodal cargo logistics hub. With Duluth Cargo Connect: Containerized imports and exports move via a high-capacity rail network that spans the continent, providing direct service to and from East, West and Gulf Coast ports. Great Lakes freighters and oceangoing ships access a broad menu of terminal services from cargo handling and transshipment to vessel repairs. Cargo moves smoothly via road, rail or sea with multiple Seaway-depth berths, fast turn-times for trucks, free-flowing highways and on-dock rail with direct access to four Class I rail carriers (BNSF, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Union Pacific). Shippers can reap the benefits of Foreign Trade Zone No. 51, potentially including duty-free storage and staging. LEARN MORE DOWNLOAD THE BROCHURE Heavy Lift Cargo Capital As the westernmost port on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Duluth-Superior is a preferred transshipment hub for wind energy components and is recognized worldwide as the Great Lakes’ heaviest-lift port. All other bulk commodities are handled at privately owned/operated facilities throughout the Port of Duluth-Superior. For a complete listing of dock operators, bulk cargo and grain terminals, vessel agents, freight forwarders and local maritime service providers, please view our Port Directory. Erie Pier Originally constructed in 1978 as a confined disposal facility with a limited useful life, Erie Pier has evolved into a long-term Processing and Reuse Facility (PRF) for dredged material from the harbor. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) operates the 89-acre Erie Pier PRF; the Port Authority is the local sponsor, providing administrative and strategic support, working closely with the USACE. The Erie Pier Management Plan, created by the Harbor Technical Advisory Committee/Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council, guides the Port Authority’s support of the facility and promotes beneficial use of clean dredged material. All dredged materials are sorted at Erie Pier (based on size) into two grades: Coarse Materials Coarse materials, like sand, are used in road construction and other construction projects. These materials meet Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Tier I standards, which permit use in any upland location. Wisconsin DNR permits the use of this coarse material in public projects anywhere in Douglas County. Fine Materials Fine materials, like reclaimed soil, also meet MPCA Tier I standards for re-use, and are used in projects around the Twin Ports and Minnesota’s Iron Range, as well as in case-by-case projects in Wisconsin. Dredged materials from Erie Pier are available for construction and land reclamation projects. Please contact Dean Lembke, Port Authority facilities manager, for more information at dlembke@duluthport.com or 218.727.8525. Navigational Channel Maintenance The Duluth-Superior Harbor is a deep-draft commercial harbor maintained by the USACE. Originally authorized under the Rivers & Harbors Act of June 3, 1896, the harbor includes two 28 to 32 feet-in-depth entries, 27 feet deep commercial route channels, and 20 to 23 feet deep inner channels. In total, the harbor has more than 18 miles of maintained channel that requires dredging of approximately 110,000 cubic yards of material annually. All but a very small percentage of dredged material is clean and is beneficially used for habitat improvement projects, beach nourishment, and upland construction projects. Any contaminated material can be transported to Erie Pier PRF for classification and proper disposal. Also providing navigation channel maintenance support is the U.S. Coast Guard’s 225-foot cutter, the icebreaker Spar. Duluth will become the vessel’s home port in 2022. Icebreaking assures safe navigation during the early and late portion of the maritime shipping season. Like its predecessor the USCGC Alder, USCGC Spar will work with other U.S. and Canadian icebreaking vessels to keep waterways open for commercial traffic, assist vessels transiting ice-filled waterways, and prevent ice-related flooding. Navigational channels are marked with a series of buoys and beacons that follow the standard “red, right, returning” rule. Navigating the lower harbor can be confusing due to the split flows toward the Duluth and Superior entries. Boaters should familiarize themselves with the navigation rules found at uscgboating.org before entering the harbor. Available Port Properties Take Your Business to the Port Businesses thrive in Duluth-Superior, and we have inland sites available for immediate development. Contact the Duluth Seaway Port Authority for more information about specific sites and unique financing packages, including: New construction/speculative projects. Ground lease. Straight-up lease with rent and fees. Vacant land development. Acquisition of existing buildings. SEE AVAILABLE PROPERTIES Regional Infrastructure As North America’s furthest inland seaport, the Port of Duluth-Superior serves a diverse and vibrant region. With easy access to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, three major highway systems and four Class I railroads, businesses can move products efficiently. The Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council plays a prominent role in regional infrastructure decisions, partnering with elected officials, agencies, planners, engineers, businesses and residents to create and maintain an effective and equitable transportation system. LEARN MORE Regional Industries Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin support a variety of industries, including aviation and aerospace, technology, healthcare, professional services, energy, manufacturing, mining, tourism, forest products, transportation and logistics, and more. Regional Workforce The region’s highly skilled and educated workforce stands ready to support growing industries and companies. Northland Connection and NORTHFORCE are helpful sources for additional information about our region, including demographics, workforce and available real estate. VISIT THE NORTHLAND CONNECTION WEBSITE VISIT THE NORTHFORCE WEBSITE CONTACT US 802 Garfield Avenue Duluth, MN USA 55802 Telephone: 218-727-8525 EMAIL THE PORT EXPLORE News and Updates FAQ Port Directory Harbor Lookout STAY CONNECTED