Commissioners approve Port Everglades master plan

Commissioners approve Port Everglades master plan Broward County Commissioners Tuesday approved a new Master/Vision Plan for Port Everglades, green lighting a five-year capital improvement plan that is included within plans for port improvements at future intervals of 10 years and 20 years.
   The package includes reconfiguring berths and developing new terminals to accommodate expected growth in all of the port's three separate business lines: container shipping, cruise shipping, and bulk petroleum product shipping.
   The plan also includes the development of an intermodal container transfer facility to be located just off the waterfront — an improvement from the existing near-port intermodal yard operating by the Florida East Coast Railway. The new rail facility will also handle aggregate materials for the construction industry that moves in hopper cars.
   The plan will also lead to a reconfiguration of the road system through the port, in part to allow better access for the general public, who could access cruise facilities and the county convention center located on port property without having to pass through the stringent security gates needed for commercial traffic.
   In a separate development related to port expansion, the commissioners said they would schedule a workshop within 60 days related to environmental issues related to a planned new ship turning notch to handle larger vessels.