Improvements include the deepening of the Miami Harbor to allow greater container access and connecting the port to inland highway and rail systems. The measures aim to enable the doubling of cargo volumes and will, in the process, create thousands of employment opportunities.
Once the improvements are carried out, PortMiami will be the only port South of Norfolk, Virginia on the Eastern Seaboard that will be at minus 50 feet when the Panama Canal expansion opens in 2015.
The PortMiami Deep Dredge Project is estimated to cost approximately $180 million. The project is expected to generate more than 33,000 jobs to the region. Once the project is complete, the Port will be able to accommodate a new, larger class of vessel that will be used on Panama Canal routes, and which will carry an increased volume of containers. This will be a key factor for driving future growth at the Port, ensuring the development of valuable Asian trade.
The Deep Dredge in turn requires further infrastructure improvements in order to cope with the larger vessels. For example, the bulkheads need to be strengthened in order to accommodate the newer vessels. Additionally, there will be a need for additional crane and crane upgrades in order to service the new ships. The port has already purchased four new Super post-Panamax cranes at a cost of $42 million, in additional to the two already in place.
Of course, once the canal expansion is in operation and the increased volume of cargo is reaching the port, it is important that the local infrastructure is kept up to date with advancements.
To that end improvements are also being made to the port's road and rail connections. $50 million is being invested by the port in partnership with the Florida East Coast Railway, The US Department of Transportation and the State of Florida, to connect the port with the improved Hialeah intermodal rail yard. This will reconnect the port with the national rail system, putting 70% of the US population within 1-4 day's reach of the port.
To ensure that cargo being delivered by the road network is also supported by the improvements, a tunnel is also being created to connect the port directly to the US Interstate Highway System. The road link will connect both freight and passengers to the port, facilitating more efficient travel that will save on both time and energy.
The improvements will allow the port to take advantage of its convenient geographical location and are essential for the future, as Florida is set to become the 3rd most populous state with more than 19 million residents and 82 million annual visitors. The growth of the state is being driven by Central Florida - an area within 24 hours reach of the port.
