Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault toured the ongoing JAXPORT development projects last week, and also received an update on port growth.
The visit, hosted by JAXPORT Chief Executive Officer Eric Green and other port executives, included a look at how the projects – from berth enhancements to Mile Point and harbor deepening – work together to make Jacksonville’s seaport more competitive, bringing jobs and revenue to Northeast Florida.
The tour began with a stop at Berths 33 and 34, currently under construction at the SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal at Blount Island. The berths are undergoing $109 million in upgrades to simultaneously accommodate two post-Panamax vessels and six electric 100-gauge container cranes.
The group also visited Mile Point, where larger ships can now travel the Jacksonville shipping channel more efficiently, before seeing the site of the Harbor Deepening project, currently under construction.
The project will deepen the federal shipping channel to 47 ft., offering the largest container ships calling the U.S. East Coast unobstructed access to the port’s terminals.
Harbor deepening is two years ahead of schedule, due in large part to support from the state, as well as strong partnerships at the federal and local levels.