Archive | www.aapa-ports.org |
February 4, 2015 |
Infrastructure: Everglades, Manatee
Print this Article | Send to Colleague
Port Everglades is partnering with public and private entities on several multi-million-dollar landside infrastructure improvements designed to improve connections with South Florida's major highway and railroad systems. Port Manatee and its stakeholders look to benefit from full federal funding of a feasibility study related to deepening of its channel and harbor area.
Port Everglades is
partnering with public and private entities on several
multi-million-dollar landside infrastructure improvements designed to improve
connections with South Florida's major highway and railroad systems.
"Landside congestion plagues many seaports, but Port Everglades is fortunate to have direct interstate highway access and a strong partnership with the Florida East Coast Railway and the State of Florida that keeps commerce on the move," said Port Everglades Chief Executive and Port Director Steven M. Cernak in an address last week at AAPA's Shifting International Trade Routes. "Our last mile projects are nearing completion, and we like to boast that there is only one stop light from Port Everglades to Los Angeles."
Most recently, the Eller Drive Overpass opened to connect the east end of I-595 directly to the port's main entrance. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) invested $42.5 million to build the overpass, which allows vehicles entering Port Everglades to travel unimpeded over two new at-grade rail tracks that lead into the Florida East Coast Railway's (FECR) new intermodal container transfer facility (ICTF).
In July 2014, the FECR opened its new $72 million, 43-acre ICTF that is used to transfer both domestic containers to/from South Florida and international shipping containers between ship and rail. This near-dock facility, located on port property, replaced FECR's previous 12-acre intermodal yard located 2 miles away. Port Everglades contributed the land to the public/private partnership, FDOT awarded an $18 million grant and the State of Florida provided a $30 million State Infrastructure Bank Loan to the FECR for the project.
To enhance productivity for over-the-road container movement, Port Everglades also partnered with FDOT to realign McIntosh Road, the main roadway in the Port's Southport containerized cargo area. Construction included additional lanes so that it is now an efficient multi-lane loop road with ample room for truck staging. FDOT partially funded the $7 million McIntosh Loop Road project through a grant.
In addition to these landside improvements, longer-term capital improvements at Port Everglades include adding cargo berths, deepening and widening the navigation channels, purchasing new Super Post-Panamax gantry cranes and completing capacity upgrades to the existing gantry cranes.
Already underway and slated for completion in 2019, Port Everglades will be adding new cargo berths in its Southport Turning Notch Extension project, which will lengthen the existing deep-water turn-around area for cargo ships from 900 feet to 2,400 feet. Super Post-Panamax gantry cranes will also be added to serve the existing Southport container berths, and the crane rails will be extended to the full length of the extended Turning Notch to better utilize existing cranes.
Port Manatee Harbor Deepening Study Gains Full Funding in Obama’s Fiscal 2016 Budget
Port Manatee and its stakeholders look to benefit from full federal funding of a feasibility study related to deepening of its channel and harbor area.
"Landside congestion plagues many seaports, but Port Everglades is fortunate to have direct interstate highway access and a strong partnership with the Florida East Coast Railway and the State of Florida that keeps commerce on the move," said Port Everglades Chief Executive and Port Director Steven M. Cernak in an address last week at AAPA's Shifting International Trade Routes. "Our last mile projects are nearing completion, and we like to boast that there is only one stop light from Port Everglades to Los Angeles."
Most recently, the Eller Drive Overpass opened to connect the east end of I-595 directly to the port's main entrance. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) invested $42.5 million to build the overpass, which allows vehicles entering Port Everglades to travel unimpeded over two new at-grade rail tracks that lead into the Florida East Coast Railway's (FECR) new intermodal container transfer facility (ICTF).
In July 2014, the FECR opened its new $72 million, 43-acre ICTF that is used to transfer both domestic containers to/from South Florida and international shipping containers between ship and rail. This near-dock facility, located on port property, replaced FECR's previous 12-acre intermodal yard located 2 miles away. Port Everglades contributed the land to the public/private partnership, FDOT awarded an $18 million grant and the State of Florida provided a $30 million State Infrastructure Bank Loan to the FECR for the project.
To enhance productivity for over-the-road container movement, Port Everglades also partnered with FDOT to realign McIntosh Road, the main roadway in the Port's Southport containerized cargo area. Construction included additional lanes so that it is now an efficient multi-lane loop road with ample room for truck staging. FDOT partially funded the $7 million McIntosh Loop Road project through a grant.
In addition to these landside improvements, longer-term capital improvements at Port Everglades include adding cargo berths, deepening and widening the navigation channels, purchasing new Super Post-Panamax gantry cranes and completing capacity upgrades to the existing gantry cranes.
Already underway and slated for completion in 2019, Port Everglades will be adding new cargo berths in its Southport Turning Notch Extension project, which will lengthen the existing deep-water turn-around area for cargo ships from 900 feet to 2,400 feet. Super Post-Panamax gantry cranes will also be added to serve the existing Southport container berths, and the crane rails will be extended to the full length of the extended Turning Notch to better utilize existing cranes.
Port Manatee Harbor Deepening Study Gains Full Funding in Obama’s Fiscal 2016 Budget
Port Manatee and its stakeholders look to benefit from full federal funding of a feasibility study related to deepening of its channel and harbor area.
Manatee Harbor, near the Gulf of Mexico entrance to Tampa Bay, is one of only
10 waterways in the continental United States identified for such U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers funding in the fiscal 2016 civil works budget announced
Monday (Feb. 2) by President Obama.
"Port Manatee is deeply appreciative of this funding, which represents a
milestone in our efforts to reach our target harbor depth of 45 feet, which
will allow us to accommodate the majority of vessels transiting the expanded
Panama Canal," said Carlos Buqueras,
executive director of Port Manatee.
Manatee Harbor, which currently has a depth of
40 feet, is targeted to receive $700,000 in feasibility study funding in the
federal budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, 2015, covering the
complete expense of the study. In addition, the budget includes $300,000 for
maintenance and $100,000 for operation of Manatee Harbor.
U.S. Assistance Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy commented, "The 2016 civil works budget for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
reflects the administration’s priorities to support and improve the nation’s
economy, protect the American people and restore our environment."
|
Asociación Americana de Autoridades Portuarias
1201 Maryland Ave SW, Suite 860, Washington, D.C. 20024
E: info@aapa-ports.org
W: www.aapa-ports.org
