A transformative infrastructure upgrade at the Balzano Marine Terminal has earned the 2025 Distinguished Engineering Award from the New Jersey Alliance for Action. The project, led by the South Jersey Port Corporation (SJPC) in collaboration with Urban Engineers, Inc. (Urban), modernized the terminal's rail system to enhance freight capacity, reduce emissions, and improve economic resilience.

Urban played a key role in the success of the $7.4 million initiative, rehabilitating aging rail infrastructure at the deepwater marine terminal in Camden, NJ. Originally constructed in the 1930s, the terminal’s rail network was in critical need of evaluation and redesign to meet today’s freight needs.

Through partnership with SJPC, Urban assessed existing rail conditions and developed comprehensive design plans to replace and rehabilitate deteriorated trackage, as well as provided construction phase services. The firm’s work included:

• Streamlining the rail layout to support more efficient cargo movement.
• Designing embedded rail systems to allow for continuous operation of rubber-tired cargo equipment and tractor-trailers.
• Design plans for cast manganese steel crossing frogs where the freight rail intersects with the rail-mounted Ship-To-Shore cargo crane system.
• Upgrading stormwater drainage infrastructure to improve long-term sustainability.
• Construction phase services encompass oversight, field evaluations, and design revisions to address unforeseen existing conditions.

As a result of these upgrades, the terminal is expected to triple its rail freight throughput capacity, significantly boosting economic activity while reducing emissions by enabling cargo to shift from truck to rail transport. These improvements reflect SJPC’s commitment to environmental stewardship and its role as a better neighbor to Camden’s waterfront community.

"This project significantly expands our rail capacity, supporting our mission to provide efficient, consistent cargo handling to our customers. We strive to bring value to our customers and partners, while working every day to be a good neighbor along the Camden Waterfront. We appreciate the work that Urban Engineers did on this project,” said Chris Perks, PE, Director of Engineering, SJPC.

“This project represents what smart infrastructure can achieve - greater efficiency, cleaner operations, and economic benefits,” said Frank Teifeld, Project Manager for Urban. “We’re proud to have helped bring this vision to life for Camden and the region. Thank you to SJPC and our dedicated partners for making this success possible.”