Port Canaveral expands access to largest cargo ships in the world

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. — Officials in Port Canaveral are celebrating a major expansion.

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Though its well known for cruise ships, Port Canaveral can now accommodate some of the largest cargo ships in the world.

Port Canaveral opened its revamped 880-foot-long, multi-purpose berth on Thursday.

The berth was built in 1976 and had been out of service since 2014 because it was functionally obsolete.

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It has now been rebuilt with another berth space to accommodate large vessels.

The new berth was funded by a $45 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation and a $14 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration.

The project also created an estimated 160,000 job hours for workers in Brevard County.

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The new berth is expected to be used by a variety of cargo vessels, including container ships, cruise ships, and bulk carriers.

It will also be used to handle cargo for the growing commercial space industry.

The next project for the cargo vessel side of Port Canaveral is to create another 880-foot multi-purpose berth that will cost $37 million dollars.

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Construction will begin in the weeks to come.

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