PHOTO: Two giants working in the JAXPORT

With the new record for container volumes in May, JAXPORT — Florida’s largest container port by volume — continues to invest in infrastructure projects.

According to the release, more than 128,900 TEUs moved through JAXPORT in May 2021. The previous monthly container volume record of 123,700 TEUs was set in October 2019.

As cargo volumes grow, JAXPORT is investing to increase efficiency and capacity. Currently, the largest clamshell and backhoe dredges in the U.S. market, the Dredge 58 and Dredge New York, are excavating the consolidated soils and rock from the Jacksonville River.

The federal project to deepen the Jacksonville shipping channel to 47 feet from its current depth of 40 feet will be completed through Blount Island in 2022.

Berth enhancements to enable JAXPORT to simultaneously handle two post-Panamax ships will be completed in coordination with the deepening project, and $72 million in improvements are currently underway to enable Blount Island to accommodate more containers.

“The investments that we’re making in our port facilities ensure that we can continue to provide the efficient service our customers have come to expect from Jacksonville,” said JAXPORT CEO Eric Green. “JAXPORT has developed a reputation in the marketplace for our ability to get vessels in and out of port quickly, a position we are proud to have maintained throughout the supply chain challenges that have impacted our industry over the last 18 months.”

The latest contract under the Jacksonville Harbor Deepening Project was awarded in the autumn of 2020 to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD). The scheme involves dredging of approximately 4.1 million cubic yards of material from approximately 1.7 nautical miles of the St. John’s River in Duval County, Jacksonville.

The project will deepen and widen the channel, turning basin and the berths at Blount Island Marine Terminal to an authorized 47-foot depth.