Next week, the Port Manatee will host a groundbreaking ceremony marking the start of construction for the extension of Berth 12, and Gov. Rick Scott is expected to attend this event.
According to bradenton.com, Carlos Buqueras, the Port Executive Director , said: “ We have a high level of confidence the governor and federal and state representatives will be there to join us in celebrating this event.”
Last fall, the Port Manatee has completed the capital dredging project, and the port’s south channel to Berth 12 is now a little more than 40 feet deep, allowing plenty of space to handle big cargo ships coming through the Panama Canal.
The groundbreaking ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. on August 17, at the port.
The Port Manatee is one of Florida’s largest and fastest growing deepwater seaports. Located in the eastern Gulf of Mexico at the entrance to Tampa Bay, the Port Manatee is the closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the Panama Canal – providing shippers with speedy access to Pacific Rim markets.
As a leading economic engine, the Port Manatee adds more than $2.3 billion dollars annually in regional economic impact and supports more than 24,000 jobs.
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Dredging Today Staff, August 8, 2012; Image: portmanatee