b'8American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comLouisiana ports enhancing infrastructure to accommodate swelling cargo volumesBy Paul Scott Abbott, AJOTLed by the Port of New OrleansHeading up the Mississippi River advancement of the $1.8 billion Loui- and generally proceeding northwest-sianaInternationalTerminal,portserly,thenswingingbackaroundto of the Pelican State are ramping upcoastal and inland facilities not along infrastructuretohandleincreasingtheMississippi,heresthelateston volumesofcontainerizedcargoandkey ports of Louisiana:Port Tampa Bays container terminal, operated by Ports America, now offers five post-Panamaxother goods. P lAquemineSP ortcranes, expanded gate and additional paved storage. Asthe$250millionprojectto deepentheLowerMississippiRiverOfficials of the Plaquemines Port, (DIVERSEcontinued from page 2) passing more than 550 million squareship channel to 50 feet moves towardHarbor & Terminal District are highly Manatees top import commodityisfeet of space, with truck drivers ableanticipated2025completion,stillenthusiasticabouta30-yearagree-getting a boost with signing of a five- tomakemultipledailyroundtripsgreateractivityisanticipatedalongment,withextensionoptions,signed year agreement calling for 24 vesselbetween the port and warehouses. the nations most prominent waterway,in early 2024 with APM Terminals for callsannuallybyCitrosucoNorthAtPortTampaBayscontainerwhile offshore energy, including windthe development of a privately funded, AmericaInc.,whichbeganbring- terminal,operatedbyPortsAmericapower,aredrivingfurthergrowthat$500millioncontainerterminalnear ing orange juice from Brazil into theand called upon by direct ocean ser- Louisiana maritime installations. the mouth of the Mississippi River.ManateeCountyseaportmorethanvicesfromAsiaandLatinAmerica,Indeed,accordingtolateststa- The terminal, which officials say threedecadesagoundertheJuiceadditionalpavedstoragehasbeentistics from the U.S. Army Corps ofwilltrulymakePlaqueminesThe Farmsname. Theportalsoreceivesdeveloped, the gate complex has beenEngineers, Louisiana already is homeLouisiana Gateway Port, is to initially orange and lemon juice from Mexicosignificantly expanded and three moretofiveofthebusiest12of Ameri- encompass 200 acres, with on-dock rail viacross-Gulfcontainerservicespost-Panamax cranes have been added,cas ports as measured by total ton- facilities and a berth capable of han-ofSeaPortManatee-headquarteredbringingtofivetheterminalstotalnage: South Louisiana (No. 2), Newdling vessels with capacity of as many World Direct Shipping, as well as onnumber of such ship-to-shore gantries. Orleans (No. 6), Greater Baton Rougeas 14,000 twenty-foot container units, regular calls by juice-carrying vesselsPortTampaBayhasrecently(No.8),LakeCharles(No.10)andor TEUsthe largest containerships of Louis Dreyfus Co. approvedapairof20-yearleasePlaquemines (No. 12). (SWELLINGcontinued on page 18)High-value cargos moving throughagreements,withextensionoptions, SeaPort Manatee range from importswith global ocean transportation and of luxury yachts to exports of lique- logistics solutions company Agunsafied natural gas heat exchangers madeone for operation of an 18-acre mul-attheAirProductsandChemicalstipurposeterminalatEastportand Inc. facility just across U.S. 41 fromthe other to develop a new transload the port. Fuels, steel, forest productswarehouse distribution facility on 15 and bananas are among other leadingacres at Hookers Point. commodities.P ort ofP ortS t . J oeP ortt AmPAb Ay Along the Florida Panhandle, the Steel,automobilesanddrybulkPort of Port St. Joe has struggled to goodsareamongcargospropellingremain active since closure in the late burgeoningtonnageat5,000-acre1990s of St. Joe Co.s paper mill. Offi-PortTampaBay,billedasFloridascials of the Port St. Joe Port Author-largest seaport, which also serves asity are continuing to seek funding for homeportforfivecruiselines.Portship channel dredging and infrastruc-officials promote ready access to thetureimprovements,includingrepair highconcentrationofdistributionof the rail line serving the port.centers along the Interstate 4 corridorRecentactivitiesatthePortofAPM Terminals plans privately funded development of a $500 million container terminal at between Tampa and Orlando, encom- (DIVERSEcontinued on page 10) Plaquemines Port, as shown in this rendering.LOCAL PORT | GLOBAL REACHPoweringTradeThrough EastNorthwest TerminalPhase TwoFlorida ExpansionComing 2026'