PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Port of Philadelphia is getting a major expansion with nearly $1 billion in state, federal and private investment.
Gov. Josh Shapiro said PhilaPort has been ranked as the most productive container port in the country for three straight years.
“We are a competitive people here in Philly, and we are winning,” he said.
To make the port even more productive, Shapiro announced $371 million in state funds, $266 million in federal funds and $100 million each from the port’s biggest customers, Holt Logistics and Glovis America, which specializes in finished cars. CEO Scott Cornell said it’s the largest expansion he’s seen in any of the 21 ports where Glovis does business.
“This significant milestone shows what we believe PhilaPort can become and what we can achieve together as we build it into a premier ocean terminal,” Cornell said.
Leo Holt said the increase in capacity means thousands of new jobs.
“Tens of millions of hours of people turning wrenches, lighting torches, putting in wire, putting in fiber and everything else. This is a job multiplier that will go on for the better part of a decade,” Holt said.
The money will help add a new berth at the SouthPort terminal — the first new berth in 50 years — and rehab the berth and add two new cranes at the Tioga terminal, as well as develop some nearby land known as the Mustin Yard Parcel.
