Global recovery in the automobile industry saw traffic levels rebound at the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) in the first quarter of its financial year.
JAXPORT announced on 11 February that the port’s vehicle numbers, growing 7% year-on-year (YoY) in the first quarter of its fiscal year, which began on 1 October 2020, and surpassed 185,000 so far in FY21 – the second-busiest quarter for vehicles in the port’s history.
JAXPORT’s container volumes also rebounded, up 5% YoY in FY21.
Nearly 353,400 TEU moved through JAXPORT during the first quarter of FY21, making it also one of the port’s busiest first quarters on record for container volumes.
The positive rebound comes as JAXPORT continues to expand in its operations. In January 2021, contractors completed the latest phase of its $104 million berth upgrade and expansion at the existing Jacksonville Container Terminal at Blount Island. The enhancements allow Blount Island to handle two post-Panamax ships simultaneously.
In another area of expansion, the Army Corps of Engineers continue to make significant progress on the federal project to deepen the Jacksonville shipping channel to 47 feet from its current depth of 40 feet.
Completion through Blount Island is anticipated in 2022, three years ahead of its original schedule.
JAXPORT CEO Eric Green said, “We strive to be a resource for shippers as they adapt to supply chain challenges related to the pandemic.
“As consumer trends continue to shift, and ecommerce grows, efficiency becomes increasingly important.
“The investments we are making in our facilities ensure we can maximize all of the efficiencies Jacksonville offers, including our fast access to the growing Southeast consumer market.”
