The Alabama Port Authority has announced the start of the final phase of the Mobile Harbor Modernization Project.
This six-phase initiative began in May 2021 and is anticipated to be completed in the first half of next year.
“Once complete, this project will provide a major advantage to shippers, creating even more opportunity for economic development, not just in Mobile but across our state and region. Beyond the economic impact, the Port is proud to have committed 100% of usable material from the channel to support environmentally beneficial projects throughout the Mobile Bay area, all of which are great examples of what can be accomplished when we work together,” stated John Driscoll, Director & CEO of Alabama Port Authority.
Phase six involves the use of dredged material to support environmental restoration efforts at Dauphin Island Causeway, Deer River, and Relic Shell. These projects were identified during the research and design phase of the Mobile Harbor Deepening and Widening Project, formally known as the General Reevaluation Report (GRR).
This extensive process, conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, spanned three and a half years, from November 2015 to May 2019.
The modernization will make the Port of Mobile the deepest port in the Gulf of Mexico, also adding a three-mile passing lane for post-Panamax vessels, improving operational fluidity.
Furthermore, to accommodate the expected increase in activity, APM Terminals recently invested US$40 million in two new ship-to-shore cranes, which were delivered last month.
“Vessel operators seek economies of scale through deploying larger ships and prioritize calling ports with the capability of handling these larger ships. After vessels transit the Panama Canal, we expect Mobile to be the first port of call in the Gulf because of our 50-foot depth. This means more cargo will be offloaded in Alabama, and then the vessels will go on to more shallow Gulf ports,” stated Beth Branch, Chief Commercial Officer of the Alabama Port Authority.
Strategically positioned on the northern Gulf of Mexico, the Port of Mobile connects to an international airport and two interstate highways: I-65 running north/south and I-10 running east/west. The US port’s intermodal container transfer facility provides access to five Class I and four short-line railroads, enabling containers to reach Chicago by rail within three days.
