Alter Logistics Begins $24 Million Expansion at St. Paul Facility
September 25, 2021 
The $24 million project at the Alter River Terminal in St. Paul, MN, includes a new 40,000-ton fertilizer warehouse, stormwater retention installation, and extensive rail track expansion. Photo: TKDA Engineering Rendering.
Alter Logistics Co., based in Bettendorf, IA, and Alter River Terminal St Paul, have begun construction on a multifaceted expansion at the Barge Channel Road facility. The $24 million project includes a new 40,000-ton fertilizer warehouse, stormwater retention installation, and extensive rail track expansion.
Alter’s current tenant, ADM Fertilizer based out of Minneapolis, MN will utilize the new warehouse under a long-term contract. The 40,000-ton warehouse will have seven large storage bins for bulk products and three micro bins, plus a high-capacity blending/loadout system.
Marcus Construction designed the new building and is performing as the primary and general contractor for the new facility. Alter has also partnered with Sackett-Waconia for mechanical system design and equipment as well as the existing terminal upgrade.
The facility will receive product from a new 800 TPH barge unloading system as well as a 400 TPH rail unloading system. The building will feature storage bays for macro products as well as micro bins for specialty products. The 320’ long facility will have 150’ deep storage bins, a 40’ wide alleyway for end loader operation and an enclosed two-lane truck loadout. Rail cars can be loaded utilizing an overhead conveyor coming from the high-speed loadout system.
The new barge receiving system feeds both the new facility and Alter’s existing facility on the site which will now also enables discharge of railcars into either building. The new building’s loadout equipment utilizes dual in-floor conditioner/drag conveyors feeding bucket elevators, which in turn feeds direct to trucks or rail. The facility also incorporates Sackett-Waconia’s high speed “Precision Blending” system with 250 tons of overhead storage, legal for trade weighing system and industry leading HIM2.0 blender serving 2 lane loading for prescription blends or straight products as well as railcars for straight products.
Other improvements on the site include an expansive installation of a stormwater containment and management plan according to standards established by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency- MPCA.
Alter is also in the process of finalizing plans for an extensive addition to their rail service increasing capacity with approximately 4,400 feet of new track. The Saint Paul Port Authority was instrumental in securing funding from the Minnesota DOT to assist in the project. TKDA Engineering based in St Paul, MN has been actively involved in all aspects of the three projects as well as lending a supervisory role overseeing the new building construction.
Alter is expecting all construction on the three massive projects to be complete early in 2022.
Subscribe Today For
