Port of Mobile enters fourth phase of $104M container terminal expansion

The Port of Mobile is constructing an interterminal connector bridge to create on-dock rail access at its container terminal. (Photo: APM Terminals Mobile)

The Alabama Port Authority has begun the fourth phase of a project to double its container terminal capacity to over 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units.

The $104 million project is a partnership between the port authority and port operator APM Terminals Mobile.

Under the agreement, the port authority and APM Terminals are adding 32 acres to the existing 134-acre facility. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025.

The latest phase will include the construction of an interterminal connector bridge to create on-dock rail access at the port’s container terminal. 

“As trade patterns continue to evolve, this expansion ensures that we remain a reliable, efficient, and sustainable gateway for commerce,” John Driscoll, director and CEO of the Alabama Port Authority, said in a news release. “We are investing to ensure the Port of Mobile meets the needs of current and future business partners across the globe and enhances our role as a key driver of Alabama’s economy.”

Previous phases of the project included adding a sheet pile wall on the north side of the terminal to facilitate the filling of 13 acres of manmade water bottoms to create more available land. The project is developing an additional 19 acres adjacent to the water bottoms to create a 32-acre container yard. 

APM Terminals Mobile and the port authority also partnered to purchase two ship-to-shore super post-Panamax cranes for a total of $40 million. The cranes were delivered to the Port of Mobile in July.

The container terminal at the port is currently equipped to handle two 14,000-TEU vessels. The two super post-Panamax cranes complement the current four gantry cranes at the Port of Mobile — two super post-Panamax and two post-Panamax cranes. 

In addition to the terminal expansion, the port authority is in the final phase of a project to deepen the Mobile Ship Channel to 50 feet. The project is scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2025.

Upcoming FreightWaves Events
Fraud & Security

Freight Fraud Symposium

Double brokering. AI deepfakes. Identity theft. Freight fraud is an existential threat to the industry. Get ahead of it.

May 20, 2026
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame • Cleveland, OH
Register Now
AI & Technology

Supply Chain AI Symposium

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

July 15, 2026
The Old Post Office • Chicago, IL
Register Now
Rail & Policy

Future of Rail Symposium

Reshoring is rewriting freight demand. Join shippers, rail executives, and government officials to shape the next decade.

July 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
Fraud & Security Freight Fraud Symposium May 20 • Cleveland, OH

Double brokering. AI deepfakes. Identity theft. Freight fraud is an existential threat to the industry. Get ahead of it.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame • Cleveland, OH Register Now
AI & Technology Supply Chain AI Symposium Jul 15 • Chicago, IL

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

The Old Post Office • Chicago, IL Register Now
Rail & Policy Future of Rail Symposium Jul 28 • Chattanooga, TN

Reshoring is rewriting freight demand. Join shippers, rail executives, and government officials to shape the next decade.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now

Noi Mahoney

Noi Mahoney is a Texas-based journalist who covers cross-border trade, logistics and supply chains for FreightWaves. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in English in 1998. Mahoney has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working for newspapers in Maryland and Texas. Contact nmahoney@freightwaves.com