Central Florida port to develop FEC-served inland port

Port Canaveral recently announced plans to develop an inland port near the north end of Brevard County, Fla.

In fall, the Cape Canaveral port plans to begin widening and deepening its 3.5-mile channel, and the inland port is expected to help accommodate freight carried by larger ships.

Dedicated barges would carry cargo from the port to inland transfer points connected to a Florida East Coast Railway line. The project involves the reactivation of a rail spur in Port St. John just south of Titusville.

The hub will create a direct route for the flow of goods from the port to destinations in Florida and throughout the southeastern United States, as well as expand the port's market reach to the Southeast and Midwest, said Canaveral Port Authority Commission officials in a press release.

"An inland port will create a commerce hub and expand opportunities for business creation, retention and attraction," said Jerry Allender, the commission's vice chairman. "In addition, it will help us offer a complete multi-modal transportation system."