Northwest Seaport Alliance is moving ahead with improvements to Terminal 5, refrigerated cargo expansion and Inland connections.
The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) composed of the Washington state ports of Seattle and Tacoma is pushing forward with improvements to the alliance’s cargo handling infrastructure. In 2025 the NWSA handled 3,156,598 TEUs — 2,418,534 in international traffic with another 738,064 TEUs in domestic traffic largely to Alaska. But the ports also handled a considerable amount of breakbulk cargo, 327,574 mt in 2025 along with 470,906 vehicles in the same year.
The two terminal investments – a modernized gate complex that doubles on-terminal truck queuing capacity and the addition of refrigerated container plugs, bringing the total to over 1,500 – improve terminal efficiency, enhance the facility’s ability to handle temperature-sensitive cargo, and strengthen the NWSA gateway as a leader in agriculture exports. These projects are among the final efforts to complete the Terminal 5 Modernization Program, a major upgrade to ensure the facility is big-ship ready and competitive in a tight market. The NWSA, along with SSAT, have invested over half of a billion dollars in the Program.
Modernized Gate Complex Improves Traffic Flow
The new $14.6 million gate complex replaces an outdated truck queuing area with expanded capacity and advanced technology designed to increase truck throughput into the terminal. The new complex uses weigh-in-motion scales, eliminating the need for a full static stop and adding efficiency to terminal operations. The facility footprint has been strategically relocated further into the terminal, incorporating an improved traffic flow design that allows trucks to move more efficiently while doubling the number of vehicles that can queue on terminal.
The project’s benefits extend well beyond the terminal gates. By doubling the on-terminal queuing capacity, the investment significantly reduces truck backup that previously spilled onto SW Spokane Street, a major freight and commuter corridor serving the Duwamish industrial area and West Seattle community.
Refrigerated Capacity Expansion
The addition of refrigerated container plugs brings the total to over 1,500, representing a transformational investment in Terminal 5’s capacity to handle temperature-sensitive cargo. Reefer plugs provide electrical power to refrigerated containers, maintaining optimal temperatures for perishable cargo while containers await vessel loading or inland transportation.
For Washington’s agricultural exporters, this expansion is critical. As one of the nation’s leading agricultural export states, Washington ships apples, cherries, potatoes, hay and other products to customers across Asia and around the world. The expanded reefer capacity means exporters can move higher volumes through Terminal 5 without worrying about plug availability constraining their shipments. The Northwest Seaport Alliance Co-Chair and Port of Tacoma Commission President Dick Marzano, said “The investment in modernized facilities positions the NWSA to handle cargo more reliably and competitively.”
Inland Logistics Hub
NWSA along with the Port of Benton, Port of Pasco and Port of Walla Walla, signed a strategic agreement to develop an Inland Logistics Hub in the Tri-Cities region of southeastern Washington. This partnership established a framework for joint efforts to enhance international trade, expand cargo movement and strengthen Washington state’s supply chain infrastructure.
The envisioned Inland Logistics Hub will leverage existing regional assets, including available industrial-zoned land and access to Class I railroads and major highways with direct connections to the coastal seaport. The hub will also support the development of new logistics capabilities, including intermodal transfer operations, distribution and warehousing facilities and barge facilities with access to the Columbia-Snake River system.
The ports view an Inland Logistics Hub as a vehicle to drive increased economic development and job creation across urban and rural Washington communities, improve export access for eastern Washington agricultural and industrial products, and attract new businesses involved in global trade to the state.
