America’s first new terminal in more than a decade opens as nation battles severe port congestion
The 3,237 teu Yorktown Express will come to berth today in North Charleston on the US east coast to much fanfare, the debut ship to call at a brand new terminal, the first new box facility completed in America for more than a decade.
will come to berth today in North Charleston on the US east coast to much fanfare, the debut ship to call at a brand new terminal, the first new box facility completed in America for more than a decade.More than $1bn has been spent on developing the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal, which is set to become the flagship facility for South Carolina Ports. Featuring 426m of quayside and a 47-acre container yard, the terminal, named after an 89-year-old local senator, has an annual capacity of 700,000 teu and has 25 hybrid gantry cranes.
Today’s opening comes at a time where most American ports are suffering from extreme congestion and debate is stirring on what to do to expand the nation’s maritime gateways.
South Carolina Ports set a record in March, handling the most cargo in its history, 248,796 teu. Its previous high, in August 2019, was 233,110 teu.
“SC Ports moved more cargo than ever before in March. This significant achievement leads up to another historic milestone as we prepare to welcome the first ship to the Leatherman Terminal on Friday,” SC Ports president and CEO Jim Newsome said yesterday.
