Adam RollinsAs part of efforts to strengthen the reliability and efficacy of the state’s ports, the South Carolina Ports (SCP) Board of Directors has approved a $294 million capital plan for the upcoming year.
The capital plan will primarily target critical port infrastructure, focused on completing ongoing and implementing upcoming projects. Projects included as part of the fiscal year 2026 plan include:
- Finishing the Navy Base Intermodal Facility.
- Expanding Leatherman Terminal with a second berth.
- Upgrading Columbus Street Terminal to enhance resiliency.
The Naval Base Intermodal Facility is already 80% complete, covering a 118-acre site. The near-port rail yard will accelerate imports and exports between the Port of Charleston and other inland ports and markets. The facility will feature 35,000 feet of processing tracks and use six electric rail-mounted gantry cranes to transfer containers.
Once completed, the facility will ensure SCP can handle future growth in the Southeast market. The port will have a capacity of one million rail lifts per year, providing shippers with critical capacity expansion, environmental efficiency and speed to market. Additional features will include processing and classification tracks, arrival and departure tracks, container stacking areas, administrative buildings and vehicle driving lanes.
The expansion at Leatherman Terminal builds on the SCP’s efforts to enhance port capacity. The planned second berth for the terminal will be 1,600 feet, bringing the port’s total amount of available berth capacity to 3,000 feet.
The Leatherman Terminal project, once completed, will have three berths and a capacity of 2.4 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs). The final stage is anticipated to be completed by 2032.
Upgrades to the Columbus Street Terminal will take up the remaining funds allocated through the capital plan. The port will work to upgrade resiliency for roll-on/roll-off operations, making it easier for ports to handle wheeled cargo such as cars, trucks and trailers.
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