PALMETTO, Fla. – SeaPort Manatee will receive $2 million in state grant funding to advance critical enhancement of roadway access at the fast-growing hub of maritime commerce.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made the announcement on March 14 at the port.
“Everywhere you look in the region, you can see the impact of SeaPort Manatee on the daily lives of Floridians,” DeSantis said. “This award will help fulfill the demand from current and new businesses as they expand their operations and create new jobs.”
Florida Job Growth Grant Fund
The Florida Job Growth Grant Fund money, via the Florida Department of Commerce, is to be used to reconstruct the South Dock Street roadway that links SeaPort Manatee’s recently expanded South Gate complex with U.S. 41, so as to accommodate heavy truck traffic.
According to DeSantis, the project is anticipated to create 300 jobs, also noting that Florida’s seaports combine to support almost 1.2 million Florida jobs while generating more than $195 billion in annual impacts.
South Gate Growth
According to a press release, the South Gate has seen a dramatic increase in activity since opened to truck traffic in September 2023, combining with the primary North Gate complex to securely handle more than 1 million truck transits on an annual basis, equating to an average of two vehicles per minute each day.
Rapidly increasing truck transits parallel the dynamic growth of cargo activity at SeaPort Manatee, which posted record volumes in its fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2024. Containerized cargo volume flowing through the port has tripled since 2019.
Manatee County Port Authority Chairman Mike Rahn thanked DeSantis, commenting, “With your support and your team’s support of FDOT [Florida Department of Transportation] and the Department of Commerce, SeaPort Manatee continues to grow and thrive as the best seaport in Florida.”
Florida Secretary of Transportation Jared W. Perdue called SeaPort Manatee “truly a crown jewel of Southwest Florida,” adding, “The growth has really been tremendous.”
The governor’s press conference was held at a just-opened 50,000-square-foot warehouse of Agunsa Manatee Terminal, which is using the facility for handling bulk and breakbulk cargo.
Global Trade Hub
Located in Southwest Florida, at the entrance to Tampa Bay, SeaPort Manatee is a dynamic global trade hub, serving as the vibrant ships-to-shelves gateway for burgeoning Southwest and Central Florida markets, with convenient rail and roadway links, including to the distribution-center-filled Tampa/Orlando Interstate 4 corridor. The closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the expanded Panama Canal, SeaPort Manatee offers 10 deep-draft berths, proficiently fulfilling diverse demands of container, liquid and dry bulk, breakbulk, heavylift, project and general cargo customers. The self-sustaining port generates nearly $7.3 billion in annual economic impacts while providing for more than 42,000 direct and indirect jobs – all without benefit of local property tax support.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
