Miami in bid to become ‘shanghai of Southeast?

Miami in bid to become æShanghai of SoutheastÆ    The Port of Miami expects to greatly expand cargo volumes and the hinterland it serves as a result of a new channel that will deepen the main shipping channel to 50 feet from 42 feet.
   On Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released its work plan for 2011, including $1 million for completion of the final engineering and design work for Miami's 50-foot channel.
   “Currently the vast majority of our inland cargo does not go north of Orlando,” said Eric Olafson, the port’s manager of intergovernmental affairs and cargo development.
   But with investments in a deeper channel, a new road tunnel to the port, and a restored rail link, Olafson said Miami believes it will become “a logistical hub, the Shanghai of the Southeast. We will be transforming from a port that served primarily Florida and the peninsula to one that serves the nation.”
   The port, which handled 847,249 TEUs in 2010, expects its volumes to double in the next five years, he said.
   Olafson said the port plans to solicit bids in January to deepen the channel, which is about 2.5 miles long from sea buoy to berth. It expects to begin work next summer, completing it in time for the expected opening of the expanded Panama Canal in 2014.
   Gov. Rick Scott asked the Florida Department of Transportation allocate $77 million to the Port of Miami to deepen the channel, and the port is providing $75 million to the project, which is expected to cost about $150 million. By having the state provide funding, the port will not have to wait for federal funds to be approved for the project.
   The port is also positioning itself for increased cargo volumes with the construction of a new tunnel being built at a cost of about $900 million, to connect S.R. A1A/MacArthur Causeway to Dodge Island where container terminals are located. That will provide direct access between the seaport and interstates 395 and 95, according to the state DOT.
   The state agency said the tunnel will create another entry to the Port of Miami besides the port bridge, and improve traffic flow in downtown Miami by reducing the number of cargo trucks and cruise related vehicles on congested downtown streets.
   Last October the port received a $22 million TIGER II grant to restore and upgrade rail service between the port and the Florida East Coast Rail yard in Hialeah. Rail service linking the port with the Hialeah yard was suspended in 2005, following damage to the rail bridge to the port during Hurricane Wilma.
   “The stars have really aligned for the port of Miami. It’s not just one project but all three coming together,” Olafson said. “We are the No. 11 cargo port in the nation and we are definitely going to break the top 10 in the next few years.” ' Chris Dupin