b'14American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comAlabama, Mississippi seaports beefing up rail, roadway linksBy Paul Scott Abbott, AJOTDeepwaterportsofAlabamaandsels by late 2024 or early 2025, when Mississippi are busy beefing up rail anda$367millionchannelprojectis roadwayconnectionsastheylooktoanticipated to deliver a 50-foot draft.improve the flow of burgeoning cargoMeanwhile,witha$52million volumes on and off their terminals. investment by the port authority and AndbetterintermodallinksareCSX Transportation,anewICTFis justpartofthestoryatmid-Gulfbeingdevelopednearly200miles ports,whereimprovedwateraccessnortheast of Mobile, in Montgomery, for larger vessels is also in the cards. Alabamascapitalcity,tobeserved Looking individually, from east toviaregularCSXrailservice.Also,A containership of THE Alliance carrier Ocean Network Express is welcomed at the Alabama west, at the latest at the three majorundera$231.6millionrailcorridorState Port Authoritys Port of Mobile.seaports of Alabama and Mississippi: initiative,NorfolkSouthernisbeef-ingupconnectionsbetweenMobile A lABAmAs tAteP ortA uthority and several inland sites, including the WiththeAlabamaStatePortClass Is McCalla Intermodal Facility Authoritys Port of Mobile handlingnear Birmingham.rapidlygrowingcargovolumesand increasingintermodalrailtransfers,P ort ofP AsCAGoulAefforts are moving forward to enhanceAlong the Mississippi Gulf Coast, freight movement through port termi- just west of the Alabama state line, the nals and beyond. Jackson County Port Authoritys Port TheportauthorityplanstouseofPascagoulalooksthismonthto $38 million in federal grant fundingwelcome the first vessel call at the $90 announcedinMarchtowardbuild- millionwoodpelletexportterminal ing an interterminal connector bridgerecently completed by Enviva Hold-linkingexpandingMobileHarborings LP in Bayou Casotte Harbor. A marineterminalfacilitieswithanpair of 170-foot tall, off-dock storage intermodal container transfer facility,domeseachabletoaccommodate or ICTF, and adjacent logistics park,45,000 metric tons of pelletsplus as well as toward site development inaconveyorsystemwithshiploader preparation for construction of distri- have been finished at the export termi-bution centers. Mobile Harbor shouldnal, which is to receive wood pelletsTwo storage domes and conveyor system have been constructed at Envivas wood pellet export become more accessible to larger ves- (LINKScontinued on page 19) terminal at the Port of Pascagoula.'