American terminal operator SSA Marine has reached the halfway mark in its ambitious US$72 million project to modernise and expand the SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal, located at JAXPORT’s Blount Island Marine Terminal.
This collaborative effort, a public-private partnership between the port and SSA Marine, commenced its phased construction journey in 2022.
Recently completing four out of eight planned phases, the project has already seen significant advancements, including the installation of upgraded terminal lighting, a revamped terminal gate system, and the paving of nearly 160,000 m² with heavy-duty asphalt.
Additionally, ongoing construction involves the creation of six new outbound truck lanes, set to open in February 2024, while enhancements to the terminal’s six inbound lanes are expected to be completed in late 2024.
The SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal now boasts revitalised berths and a 14.3-metre deepwater shipping channel. By the project’s culmination in 2025, the facility’s expanded yard will feature 970,000 m² of freshly paved asphalt, accommodating taller stacks of loaded containers. The terminal also holds the flexibility to further extend to 1.2 million m² if needed.
Anticipated for 2025, the upgraded facility is poised to handle nearly 500,000 TEUs annually, reflecting a remarkable 150% increase over its current throughput. This enhanced capacity is set to elevate JAXPORT’s total TEU capability across all terminals to over two million annually, effectively doubling its current throughput.
