The Port of Tampa is well-positioned for increased trade once the Panama Canal expansion is completed, including sufficient Sunshine Skyway Bridge clearance for larger cargo ships, port director Richard Wainio told the Hillsborough County Commission on Wednesday.
Tampa's port today could handle larger container ships, although it won't be certain until the canal expansion is completed in 2014 or 2015 what size ships carriers might schedule to Tampa or other ports in Florida, he said.
"It's not a problem for cargo," Wainio said, adding that most anticipated growth for Tampa would be along north-south routes from the Caribbean Basin, including Mexico, Chile and Brazil, compared with east-west routes serving the Far East.
Cruise lines eight years ago raised issues that their newest generation of ships would not be able to serve Tampa because they would be too tall for the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
A question on a Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce survey in March of 400 registered voters found 41 percent said the bridge should be replaced with a higher one to help compete with other cities for trade, compared with 44 who said "no."
The survey did not ask how a new bridge could be funded.
tjackovics@tampatrib.com
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