Business, Freight News, Sea

JAXPORT completes $100 million in berth improvements

[ August 11, 2022   //   Gary G Burrows ]

The newly-deepened 47-foot harbor in Jacksonville, Florida is providing large vessels – and shippers’ freight – greater access to the U.S. Southeast market and nearly 100 million American consumers.
With a deeper harbor, two-way vessel traffic and open berthing windows seven days a week, ships remain on schedule at JAXPORT, lowering costs for carriers and shippers.
The Jacksonville Harbor Deepening Project was completed through Blount Island in May 2022, providing a 47 foot channel depth for vessels calling JAXPORT.
The $420 million project deepened the Jacksonville shipping channel from its previous depth of 40 feet (12.2 meters) to a depth of 47 feet (14.3 meters). The project included construction of a vessel turning basin that now allows larger ships to turn around at Blount Island berths.
A deeper harbor is essential to meet the needs of larger cargo ships transiting the Suez and Panama canals as those vessels deliver cargo to JAXPORT terminals. A 47-foot depth for the federal channel positions JAXPORT as the first U.S. East Coast port of call for fully loaded post-Panamax class vessels.
In coordination with deepening, JAXPORT has also completed $100 million in berth enhancements to enable the SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal at Blount Island to simultaneously accommodate two post-Panamax ships.

Tags: JaxPort