WASHINGTON: The Port of Palm Beach broke ground on a $10 million infrastructure enhancement project that will create a new mini-slip at Berth 17, its southernmost cargo dock. The improvement project will replace 376 feet of aging seawall and extend the berth’s capacity to accommodate vessels up to 300 feet in length, port officials said. The 12-month project is expected to be completed in summer 2017. “The construction of this mini-slip will allow the port to significantly diversify its operational profile and revenue stream, adding space for another user to operate at the port 365 days a year,” said Wayne M. Richards, chairman of the port’s Board of Commissioners, in a statement.
The Berth 17 mini-slip project is expected to produce an additional volume of about 14,000 TEUs, added Manny Almira, executive director of the Riviera Beach seaport. TEU stands for “twenty-foot equivalent units,” which is the standard measure for containerized cargo. That translates to an increase of about $8.8 million in cargo business annually initially, with projected yearly increases, he said. “We are taking an area of the port that previously had little use and making it into a very productive area,” said Almira. “There will be little or no interruption of service for any tenants during the project’s term.”
