MAY 2026 
American Journal of Transportation
American Journal of Transportation 
3
Vehicle carrier M/V Cape Cortes and a U.S. Coast Guard cutter berth at Port Pascagoula’s 
500-acre Singing River Island site.
Alabama, Mississippi ports 
gearing up to accommodate 
growing cargo activity
By Paul Scott Abbott, AJOT
(ACTIVITY – continued on 
page 16)
From improved cargo-han-
dling capabilities to deeper 
channel availability, seaports of 
Alabama and Mississippi are 
gearing up to efficiently move 
increasing volumes of a vari-
ety of containerized and out-
side-the-box goods through 
mid-Gulf maritime facilities.
Officials point to the 
central location of their ports 
– with ready intermodal 
accessibility throughout the 
South, Midwest and beyond 
– as a significant attribute for 
attracting shipments.
Looking individually from 
east to west, this is the hot-
test take on what’s happening 
at seaports of this two-state 
Central Gulf region: 
Alabama Port Authority 
With the completion in 
early October of the project 
bringing its lower harbor 
With its lower harbor recently deepened to 50 feet, the Alabama Port Authority’s Port of Mobile 
offers efficient containership access.
depth to 50 feet from 45 feet, 
the Port of Mobile is being 
promoted by Alabama Port 
Authority officials as the 
deepest containerport along 
the Gulf of America and a 
hub for extensive breakbulk 
and project cargo moves. 
The top executive at the 
authority is now Doug Otto, 
who in November was pro-
moted to director and chief 
executive officer from chief 
engineering officer, succeed-
ing John Driscoll.
The 
deeper 
channel, 
enhanced inland intermodal 
capabilities, $100 million in 
breakbulk facility improve-
ments, uncongested opera-
tions and access to five Class 
I railroads are key selling 
points as the Port of Mobile 
looks to provide a competi-
tive alternative to more tradi-
tional gateways.
In February, the Alabama 
authority launched – along 
with a modernized port logo – 
its Mobile America Express, 
or MAX for short, as a service 
platform integrating deepwa-
ter access with rail, Interstate 
highway, inland waterway 
GULF COAST PORTS 2026
GULF COAST PORTS 2026

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