Port of Palm Beach undertaking $20-million-plus improvement project. Here are the key features.

Mike Diamond, Palm Beach Post
·3 min read

RIVIERA BEACH — A $20 million-plus improvement project is underway at the Port of Palm Beach that is expected to allow the port to more than double the amount of rail freight it can process.

Port commissioners, area legislators and Palm Beach County commissioners attended a recent ceremonial groundbreaking. Among the speakers were Port Executive Director Michael Meekins, Board Chair Jean Enright and Branden Villalona, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration director for the South Atlantic Gateway Region.

Enright said the work represents a significant step toward "a more efficient, eco-friendly and job-stimulating future for the port." The project is expected to create more than 100 direct jobs during construction.

Port of Palm Beach key improvements include these features:

  • A redesign of the main gate off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Riviera Beach, with additional lanes being added inside for trucks to enter and exit more efficiently. The large trucks will be aided by an automated technology system, cutting processing time by 50%. The result will be less emissions.

  • Three new rail tracks and the replacement of two existing tracks. The move is expected to increase freight capacity to nearly 100,000 TEUs per year from 44,000. A TEU is a unit of cargo. It stands for a "twenty-foot equivalent unit," or a 20-foot-long metal box that can be transferred between ships, trains, and trucks. And those new rail tracks mean more storage for railcars within the port.

  • A new road that will carry noncontainerized cargo along the Port's western boundary.

What does Port of Palm Beach improvements mean for Riviera Beach?

Aerial view of the Port of Palm Beach August 3, 2023 in Riviera Beach.
Aerial view of the Port of Palm Beach August 3, 2023 in Riviera Beach.

“Each project element serves on a small scale to enhance connectivity among three modes of transportation — waterborne, intermodal freight rail and trucks," Meekins said.

Florida East Coast railroad trains coming from North Florida can be as long as a mile, causing issues along roadways near the Port of Palm Beach once the trains stop to unload cargo. The milelong trains split the city in two.

The project will allow cargo to be unloaded much quicker, resulting in the trains spending less time Rivieria Beach.

Options also under consideration include a temporary parking area for those without the necessary credentials to enter the port. The port is also looking to add security fencing and lighting. Meekins said it is unclear if there will be enough money to pay for those options.

Tropical contains are picked up to be loaded at the Port of Palm Beach March 1, 2023 in Riviera Beach.
Tropical contains are picked up to be loaded at the Port of Palm Beach March 1, 2023 in Riviera Beach.

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Chart shows tonnage increase at Port of Palm Beach during the next 20 years with much of the increase due to the importation of cement. Container trade is projected to grow 1.5% annually. The port has launched a $200 million plus improvement project to allow it to more efficiently process cargo into and out of the facility.
Chart shows tonnage increase at Port of Palm Beach during the next 20 years with much of the increase due to the importation of cement. Container trade is projected to grow 1.5% annually. The port has launched a $200 million plus improvement project to allow it to more efficiently process cargo into and out of the facility.

Work is expected to begin by July 1, and the project is expected to be completed within 18 months. In 2020, the U.S. Department of Administration awarded the Port of Palm Beach a $13.2 million infrastructure grant to support the project.

Villalona said the much-needed project will reduce railway congestion, enhance transportation infrastructure and improve road safety. She noted that the Port of Palm Beach was the only port in Florida to receive an infrastructure grant.

The Port of Palm Beach recently held a ground breaking to launch a $200-million plus improvement project that will reduce the time it takes to unload cargo and allow it to process twice the amount of cargo that is currently processed. The improvements will improve the rail track system and the roads coming into and out of the facility.
The Port of Palm Beach recently held a ground breaking to launch a $200-million plus improvement project that will reduce the time it takes to unload cargo and allow it to process twice the amount of cargo that is currently processed. The improvements will improve the rail track system and the roads coming into and out of the facility.

The port exports about 80% of its cargo. Most exports are shipped to the Bahamas. In fiscal year 2022, the port registered a 3.8% annual growth in containerized cargo. It processes more than $14 billion in commodities, 2.5 million tons of cargo and 400,000 cruise passengers annually. The port and its tenants employ more than 3,800 people.

The port's master plan expects cargo tonnage to reach 4.5 million a year by 2042, a 69% increase over the current figure. But for that to happen, the master plan says the port must add distribution warehouses and improve its rail network.

The port has been steadily adding improvements to attract more tenants and business. Since 2000, it added the $30 million “Skypass” bridge, a $15 million cruise terminal and a $15 million maritime office complex. It also opened a South Gate Entrance, along with a 40,000-square-foot warehouse and a 4-acre cargo transfer terminal.

Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Port of Palm Beach where Margaritaville cruise docks adds improvements