Port Canaveral Receives $14M Federal Grant for Berth Improvements

 The Canaveral Port Authority announced Wednesday that it has been awarded a $14 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Port Infrastructure Development Program to modernize and expand one of its cargo berths. 

“This is the largest federal grant ever awarded to Port Canaveral, and we thank Secretary [Elaine] Chao for her commitment to us,” port CEO Capt. John Murray said. “We have more demand for our bulkhead than we can currently provide. This funding now gives us the opportunity to aggressively advance the development of our cargo facilities to accommodate growth in key sectors, including construction materials and commercial space.”

Port Canaveral’s cargo berth project will demolish an existing pier, replacing it with an 880-foot wharf with enough channel width to accommodate larger vessels simultaneously. Built in 1976, the current North Cargo Berth 3's design – combined with the increasing size of commercial vessels and growing cargo diversity – has made the berth functionally obsolete, the port says.

Port Canaveral’s NCB3 project has a total cost of $37,861,600. The Canaveral Port Authority and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will provide combined matching funds of $23,761,600, or 63 percent of the total project cost. This high level of state and local funding contribution is in line with DOT's aim of supporting projects that lower the federal dollar amount needed for completion. 

The NCB3 Berth Rehabilitation Project is included in the port’s five-year capital improvement plan with a targeted start by the end of 2020. The Port has received the necessary permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Florida to begin the first phase of construction.