Director pleased with progress at Port of Gulfport - WDAM-TV

From his 14th floor office in the Hancock Bank building, Port Director Jonathan Daniels gets a daily view of progress at the Port of Gulfport. "It's nice to be able to see that work is progressing," he said. (Photo source: WLOX)

GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) -

The channel dredging project at the Port of Gulfport is getting close to completion. You'll recall the dredging project is deepening the Gulfport shipping channel to 36 feet for the first time in years. And that's not the only work now underway at the port.

From his 14th floor office in the Hancock Bank building, Port Director Jonathan Daniels gets a daily view of progress at the Port of Gulfport.

"And this is what we've been talking about. This is what we've been planning and designing for the past several years. It's nice to be able to see that work is progressing," he said.

The dredge crew is getting closer to shore. After digging out the channel to 36 feet, the shipping berths will also be cleared to that same depth.

"We do feel in about the next 30 to 45 days our dredging program will be complete. And again, we are already hearing from the agents, from the shipping lines. They want to be able to take advantage of it as soon as possible," said Daniels.

The new west terminal land is a construction zone again. Utility work is a major part of the $63 million project to ready the newly created land for port business.

"We're putting utilities and utility corridors in place. Those will be able to support the electrical outlets, the reefer plugs for Dole as well as a portion for Crowley. All the lighting that's necessary, all the underground utilities, the storm water," said the director.

While the dredging crew is wrapping up work to deepen the channel, on the west side, heavy equipment and construction crews are working to build a new breakwater.

"Rock came down the Mississippi from Kentucky. We're currently completely redoing the breakwater. And then we'll be doing the eastern quadrant of the small craft harbor," Daniels explained. "We're talking about not only being able to support the pilot boat, but also being able to support Ship Island Ferry that's talking with us about moving from Jones Park and moving into the small craft harbor."

Director Daniels says he has several "promising prospects" that could become future tenants at the newly expanded port. Right now, those negotiations are confidential. But he says there could be an announcement in the next few weeks.

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