By Paul Scott Abbott, AJOT Ports along Florida’s Atlantic Coast continue to gear up with infrastructure enhancements, with much of the activity coming in anticipation of late 2014 completion of Panama Canal expansion. While not all will be as blessed as Miami’s deepwater port, which looks to have a 50-foot-deep channel in place, each of the ports along the Sunshine State’s Atlantic Coast is advancing endeavors aimed at fortifying its market position. Looking individually at Florida’s East Coast ports, beginning in Miami and moving northward toward the Georgia line: Port of the Miami RiverWith the completion of dredging along the Miami River to a 15-foot depth, the Port of the Miami River is now able to accommodate while fully loaded the shallow-draft vessels that ply the trade between it and shallow-draft ports in the Caribbean, Cuba, Central America and South America. After the dredging, the river port’s largest user, Antillean Marine Shipping Corp., is investing $8 million in larger vessels, each with carrying capacities of 220 twenty-foot-equivalent container units vs. 157 TEUs for prior ships. The Port of the Miami River, which officials say ranks fourth or fifth in annual cargo volume among Florida ports, encompasses more than 30 privately owned terminals. Cargo activity along the river is on the upswing, thanks to such developments as the gradual lessening of political tensions with Cuba, the beginning of reconstruction in Haiti and the significant Chinese investment in Caribbean resorts. Officials of the river port are advancing plans for enhanced on-dock rail capabilities and are considering federal Foreign-Trade Zone designation. PortMiamiFlorida’s No. 1 containerport, the Port of Miami-Dade County – now being marketed as PortMiami – is pressing forward with several initiatives as it looks to compete with Savannah for U.S. Southeast first calls by the larger containerships that will be able to transit the Panama Canal upon anticipated late 2014 completion of the canal expansion project. PortMiami officials are aiming to advance the port over the next decade from its current No. 11 ranking among U.S. containerports into the top five. Having gained authorization of U.S. Congress, as well as full funding, the $160 million project to deepen the PortMiami channel to 50 feet is moving ahead through design and engineering phases, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projecting late 2014 completion. Other projects in PortMiami’s $2 billion infrastructure program include a tunnel to directly link the 518-acre island port with the Interstate highway system, on target for May 2014 completion; on-port rail infrastructure, in partnership with the Florida East Coast Railway; and the recently approved purchase of four additional super-post-Panamax cranes, to join two similar units plus seven other gantries at the port. Port EvergladesOne county north of Miami-Dade, Broward County’s Port Everglades is also engaged in critical expansion projects – now under the leadership of Steven Cernak. Port director and chief executive officer of the Port of Galveston, Texas, since 1999 and previously manager of port development at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Cernak assumes the helm from Phillip C. Allen, who retired Feb. 3. Broward County officials are looking to award by spring a design and permitting contract for expansion of the port’s Southport turning notch, which would facilitate creation of five new cargo berths while enlarging a mangrove wetland habitat. Also advancing, in conjunction with Florida East Coast Railway, is an on-port intermodal container transfer facility, slated for late 2013 completion. Port Everglades’ channel deepening and widening project, which bodes to bring the inner entrance channel and main turning basin to 50-foot depth from the present 42 feet, is to be the subject of a draft environmental impact statement to be released for public comment this spring by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Port of P