Hawaii is building a new US$266 million container terminal to boost the amount of cargo that can be brought into the island.
The new container terminal will be built in Honolulu, and is anticpated to span 38 hectares while boosting cargo capacity by one-third, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
The Hawaiian state's final environmental impact report was released recently, with expectations of an approval, paving the way for construction to begin.
Officials have said the state has needed a new cargo facility for 25 years and that terminal capacity hasn't expanded in three decades.
Hawaii Department of Transportation spokeswoman Caroline Sluyter said that officials were predicting that, without the new terminal, the Honolulu Harbour would start feeling the pinch on cargo capacity by 2015, and that a lack of space would impact the economy by 2020.
However, the island's population and economy is expected to grow, making it financially practical to provide a new container terminal for the region.
The project is to be financed through revenue bonds, harbour tariffs and leases – the expected completion date is in 2016.