South Port Expansion On Track
Construction of the Berth 12 dock extension and the first 15 acres of the South Port Container Terminal will be completed in 2013 

The Manatee County Port Authority approved the extension of Berth 12 from 1,000 to 1,584 feet and construction of 15 acres of the South Port Container Terminal during a meeting Jan. 24. A project bid is expected to be awarded in May 2012 with construction complete by the summer of 2013. 

The terminal is aimed at attracting new cargoes expected in the Gulf of Mexico linked with the ongoing expansion of the Panama Canal. 

A Request for Proposals will be posted on Port Manatee's website by the end of February.