Mexico Launch Expansion Plans For Progreso Port
Mexican president, Gloria Sheinbaum, has recently announced plans to expand infrastructure and inland connectivity at the port of Progreso, which is better known as a cruise terminal on the country’s Yucatan peninsula.
Located around 10 miles north of the city of Merida, in the Gulf Of Mexico, the port is managed by APM Terminals Yucatán and is currently a minor gateway to the US, Latin America and Europe, with a capacity of 110,000 TEU and handling an average of 22 vessels per month.
However, the area covered by the port is home to 10 million inhabitants, 10% of the total population of Mexico, and Sheinbaum sees the potential for Progreso to play a bigger role in Mexico’s international logistics. Her plans include expanding the deep-sea port and connecting it to rail links within the next three years.
Although the finer details of the expansion are not yet public, reports suggest that the shipping channel will be widened from 492ft to 500ft, and deepened from 36ft to 47ft, which will accommodate larger vessels.
The 11.5 hectare port will also be connected to the Maya Train link, which is a new 1,000 mile intercity railway that traverses Yucatan and serves industry in the region, which is focused on maquilas (manufacturing plants), factories and textiles.
As we reported last month, Sheinbaum’s new government has been under pressure to improve the country’s port infrastructure, as Mexico’s container ports continue to struggle with rising volumes that have resulted in heavy congestion and delays.
