Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) has awarded Superior Construction a $48.8 million construction contract to improve container handling abilities at the SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal.
The project will enable the SSA facility to handle around 500,000 TEU annually, an increase of 150% compared to its current throughput.
Once accomplished, JAXPORT’s total container handling capabilities will grow to near two million TEU annually, a more than 40% increase over current volumes.
Completion of the project is expected in 2024.
The news comes after a very successful period for JAXPORT, setting a record for monthly container volume traffic in May 2021 with a 37% increase year-on-year in TEU. During the month, the port handled 128,900 TEU, beating the previous record of 123,700 TEU set in October 2019.
“As completion of the deepening project nears, this facility offers an expanded and highly productive international container terminal that’s ready to handle the growing demands of cargo owners and shipping lines looking to take advantage of the efficiencies the region offers,” said Mark Knudsen, SSA Conventional President.
Eric Green, CEO of JAXPORT, added “SSA’s investment in our facilities helps maximise the return on investment of the deepening project for our community, and enables us to bring more cargo – and the jobs and businesses that come with it.
JAXPORT’s harbour deepening project aims to increase its regional and national economic presence by allowing bigger ships to call at the port. Originally announced in August 2020, the project was funded by the Jacksonville City Council investing $75 million.
