b'14American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comSouthwest and Central FloridaAnother bit of good newsembarked on the strategic plan marketsandalltheregionswas an early Christmas pres- to guide the Ports short- and distributioncenters.Addi- ent of two mobile cranes. long-terminvestmentdeci-tionally, the port is the closestThe addition of the latestsions and design the Plan for USdeepwaterseaporttothepairofeco-efficientcranes,thefuturethatincludesthe expanded Panama Canal. ThewhicharrivedattheMana- revised objectives, strategies, portwithitstendeepdraftteeonDecember2 nd ,2024,and investments to drive con-berthsalsoservesaspecialafter a trans-Atlantic voyagetinued growth.nichecateringtoliquidandfromAntwerp,Belgium,Currently the port has two dry bulk, breakbulk, heavylift,onSpliethoffsM/VPlan- majorinfrastructureprojects projectandgeneralcargoastijngrachtwasafittingendon the docketin 2025, the well as containers. to the year. The new cranesportwillbeginconstruction Thedownsidetothebring the ports total to sevenon a second major warehouse, Manateeslocation,likethatGottwaldmobileharborwhilein2027,construction of Florida in general, is hur- cranesatSeaPortManatee.on the East Terminal turning ricanes. AndonOctober9thAs Carlos Buqueras, SeaPortbasinandexpansionproject Hurricane Milton made land- Manateesexecutivedirec- will get underway.fall near the port. Shortly later,tor, said at the time of arrival,ThePortsmainbusiness on October 14 th,$9.5 millionWith cargo flowing throughis dry bulk and breakbulk col-inemergencyfundingwasSeaPort Manatee at a recordlectively amounting to just over announcedbyFloridaGov.pace, this added lift capabil- 2milliontonsannuallywith RonDeSantistohelpwithitycouldnotbearrivingatexports running slightly ahead seaportsrecoveryfromthea more opportune time, fur- ofimports.Thetwobiggest over $200 million in damages. ther enhancing our ability toexportcommoditieshandled OnthebrightsideSea- adeptlymeetneedsofcon- by the port are wood pellets and PortManateehandledasumers and industry alike.kraft liner board.Last year the record volume of more thanP ortP anaMac ity portcompleteda20,000-ton-11,810,062tonsofcargo,capacity storage dome to sup-up7.2%fromfiscal2023The Port of Panama Cityport growth in exports of wood ofcargo,andcontainerizedis located on the Florida pan- pellets.Ontheimportside,Maersk has announced plans to add a weekly container service connectingcargothroughputreachedhandlefacingtheGulf.Thecopperisthelargestimport Port Tampa Bay. arecord168,897TEUsforPort Panama City acts in thebutaggregatelumberand thefiscalyearendingSept.dual role as an operating portcontainerized freight are big (FORECAST continuedtodredgethe40-milechan- 30,2024. Andaccordingtoandalandlordport,over- contributors.Althoughrela-from page 12) nel to at least 47-feet deep. Ifarecentlyreleasedreportseen by the Panama City Porttivelysmallincomparison, Paul Anderson,noted,ThisthepermittingprocessmovestheportsannualeconomicAuthority,anentityunderthe container terminal expan-is great news from our long- alongasplanned,theportimpact figurerosetonearlythe governance of the City ofsionisunderwayandcould standing partner Maersk dem- hopes the dredging will being$7.3 billion. Panama City. In 2023 the portboost totals in the future.onstratingtheircommitmentin 2027-28 and be completed toourexpandingmarket.byaround2030.Thespoils Raul Alfonso, the ports Exec- fromthedredgingwouldbe utive Vice President and Chiefused as land fill to create more CommercialOfficeradded,terminal space in the port.This new container connec-tionwhichwillallowPorts ea P ortM anateeTampa Bay customers to con- To say that SeaPort Man-nect with Maersks worldwideateehadaneventfulyear network of services via its hubwould be more than a bit of in Cartagena. anunderstatement. Theport Among the ports accom- isallaboutlocationandits plishmentsin2024wasthetag line says it allWhere approval in November 2024Tampa Bay Meets the Gulf of bytheportcommissionersMexico. And the ports loca-of two lease agreements withtion has both advantages and Agunusa(AGS)forfacili- disadvantageswithbothon tiesattheportsEastportdisplay in 2024. and Hookers Point locations.TheadvantagestoSea-AGS will operate on 18 acresPort Manatee are the rail andTwo new Konecranes Gottwald Generation 6 mobile harbor cranes steam toward SeaPort Manatee on Dec. 2 after at Eastport, with the possibil- roadway links to the growingpassing under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge aboard Spliethoffs M/V Plantijngracht.ity of taking an additional 10 acres in the future. They will also lease 15 acres at Hookers Point, with plans to develop a trans-load warehouse distri-bution facility, and the oppor-tunity to expand that site as well.Thetwenty-yearlease agreements(withextension options)areatestamentto the long-term commitment of AGS to the Port Tampa Bay maritime community.ThePortalsohasbig plans for the future. In August the U.S. Army Corps of Engi-neers signed off on the General Reevaluation Report (GRR) to deepen the Port Tampa Bays shippingchannels.Thefirst step in getting the main ship-ping channel dredged. The Port TampaBaysmainshipping channelrunningfromTampa downtown over to the Sunshine Skyway bridge is 43-feet deepshort of the depth needed to compete with other ports like SavannahandCharlestonfor the current generation of box-ships. The port authority wants'