16 American Journal of Transportation American Journal of Transportation ajot.com CONTACT US SEE THE POTENTIAL. BE PART OF WHAT’S NEXT. SEE THE POTENTIAL. BE PART OF WHAT’S NEXT. www.portpascagoula.com CHUCK CAMP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER [email protected] and air networks, creating a seamless link between global trade lanes and inland markets. Operational velocity is characterized by a three-day transit time from ship to Chicago. Port Pascagoula Just across the state line into Mississippi from Alabama, the Jackson County Port Authority’s Port Pascagoula is advancing expansion at its South Terminal, to include a new, 45,000-square-foot rail cargo-handling foundation and an additional 6.4- acre storage and staging yard to support transfers of heavy cargo to marine vessels. The expansion is moving forward alongside the $316 million BWC Terminal facility anticipated to be completed by fall on a former phosphates plant site. The BWC instal- lation is to handle petroleum products for the nearby Chevron Corp. refinery. Meanwhile, Port Pascagoula has upped its national defense status, with the U.S. Coast Guard this year returning to full response status its Sta- tion Pascagoula presence, with multiple cutters plus Maritime Administration support vessels stationed at the port’s 500-acre Singing River Island site, home to Naval Station Pascagoula until 2006. The port also regularly hosts joint military exercises and interagency training. Port Pascagoula is experiencing a leadership transition, with a search initiated this spring follow- ing the December departure of Bo Ethridge, who in 2023 succeeded Mark McAndrews after the latter’s 22 years at the helm. Mississippi State Port Authority Some 45 miles west of Pascagoula via Inter- state 10, the Mississippi State Port Authority’s Port of Gulfport is moving forward with a $24.5 million infrastructure expansion, with an $11.25 million federal grant, awarded in April, and a $9.5 million investment from terminal operator Ports America providing most of the funding. The project aims to strengthen the port’s role in national defense, sup- port intermodal and container growth and reinforce resilience of critical infrastructure. A broader permitted growth plan extends to take in 155 acres, while a study has been undertaken in A refrigerated truck of longtime tenant Chiquita exits the gate complex at the Mississippi State Port Authority’s Port of Gulfport. (ACTIVITY – continued from page 3) meal in addition to current exports of grain and oil seed, as well as Drax Biomass increasing its wood pellet tonnage, with shipments now heading to the United Kingdom from pellet mills in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas. Port Manchac On Lake Pontchartrain’s northwestern shore, about 35 miles northwest of New Orleans, the South Tangipahoa Parish Port Commission’s 140-acre Port Manchac intermodal terminal continues phased redevelopment with $14 million in additional state and federal grants. Projects include rail bridge and storage track construction – enhancing Canadian National Railway’s transloading capabilities – with future upgrades to storage, flood protection and fire suppression, plus barge dock refurbishment. Tenants benefiting from the upgrades include Premier Chemicals & Services LLC and Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania-headquartered industrial gas leader Air Products. Adjacent to the terminal, Air Products is conducting research and development of the world’s largest carbon-capture project. Port Fourchon The leading service base for deepwater oil and gas activity in the Gulf of America, the Greater Lafourche Port Commission’s Port Fourchon is completing the final phase of its northward expan- sion, including development of a major rig repair facility at Louisiana’s southernmost port. Efforts are moving forward to deepen Belle Pass to 50 feet, to accommodate the expansion, while ongoing construction is elevating Louisiana Highway 1, the 1,700-acre port’s only access roadway. Last July, the port commission acquired a 743- acre tract from the State of Louisiana to facilitate Argent LNG’s expansion of its $20 billion liquefied natural gas export operation. (ACTIVITY – continued on page 22) (HANDLE – continued on page 20) (HANDLE – continued from page 14)
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