The Alabama Port Authority has kicked off a $100 million project to update general cargo facilities at the port in Mobile.
Upgrades to Pier B South, which was built in the 1920s, will support the state’s breakbulk trade — that is, shipping of items too big, too heavy or too irregular in shape to fit standard shipping containers.
Financing comes from a $100 million federal investment championed by Sen. Richard Shelby, port officials said.
“Pier B South has stood for nearly a hundred years as a symbol of Alabama’s global trade gateway through the Port of Mobile, and now we’re investing to ensure it remains an engine for the next hundred years,” said Doug Otto, director and CEO of the Alabama Port Authority. “From steel producers like SSAB, Outokumpu, Nucor and ArcelorMittal to forest products suppliers like Great Southern Wood Preserving, International Paper and Georgia-Pacific, we are building the port to serve Alabama businesses who continue to invest and expand production right here in our state.”
Mobile-based RJ Baggett Construction is leading the three-year project that will create 1,500 linear feet of dock able to handle 1,500 pounds per square foot, accommodating harbor cranes and similar equipment. The new facility will have rail service and shore power available.
Other elements of the port’s modernization project that are in progress include warehouse upgrades, harbor work in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and attention to general cargo handling.
“From warehouse improvements to a harbor optimization partnership with the Corps, every piece of this strategy ties back to a single goal — serving Alabama industry, because when companies invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the state, it’s our responsibility to ensure their port keeps pace with their growth,” Otto said.
