Renovations begin on Port Canaveral cargo berth out of service since 2014
The Canaveral Port Authority (CPA) has broken ground on a $48m project to rebuild Port Canaveral’s north cargo berth 3 (NCB3). The project is an important component of the Florida port’s work to expand its cargo facilities. “This ground-breaking is the start of a new chapter for Port Canaveral,” said Capt. John Murray, Port Director and CEO. “This berth project is critical to expand our abilities to accommodate a growing and very diverse cargo business portfolio.”
Built in 1976, NCB3 has been out of service since 2014. Its original pier design, in combination with the increasing size of commercial vessels and the port’s growing cargo diversity, had made the berth functionally obsolete.
Demolition of the existing pier began in December 2021. It will be replaced with an 880-foot-long multipurpose wharf that ensures the necessary channel width to accommodate larger vessels simultaneously at berth.
To help cover the renovation cost, the CPA was awarded $14m from the US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) and $33m from the Florida Department of Transportation.
Port Canaveral has been advancing its capabilities to expand cargo operations by deepening the harbour to accommodate larger ships, upgrading seawalls and berthing facilities, making landside improvements, investing in new mobile harbour cranes, and expanding terminal access through roadway improvements.
