Port Manatee Berth 12 Dredging to Begin in April

PALMETTO--Completing the final component of a nearly $200 million, 11-year-expansion, Port Manatee will begin dredging Berth 12 in April to a depth of 41 feet at mean-low-water and extending it from 1,000 feet to 1,584 to accommodate Panamax-sized vessels.

The new berth sits adjacent to a planned 52-acre container terminal on the port's south side aimed at attracting new cargoes expected at Gulf of Mexico and East Coast ports with the completion of the Panama Canal expansion in 2014.

The Manatee Port Authority will hold a meeting on Thursday in county chambers following the Board of County Commissioners Land Use Meeting which begins at 9:00 a.m. On the agenda is the ARUP contract agreement modification. ARUP is the concession advisor hired by Port Manatee last fall.