Barge Port
Encyclopedia
Barge Port is a port facility and industrial development area located in Palatka, Florida
. Positioned on the waters of the St. Johns River
, tenant's enjoy access to navigable waterway maintained at 40 feet by the Army Corps of Engineers. The area is also accessible by CSX rail line
and US 17. Management and development of the site is conducted through Putnam County Port Authority
. Major port facilities are located 60 miles downriver in Jacksonville.
Existing Users at Barge Port:
was still viewed as viable, with one-third of the project complete. That same year, Putnam County Port Authority
completed Barge Port in anticipation of increased development interest. Palatka
was seemingly poised to experience maritime growth due to its location on the St. Johns River
and the newly constructed canal system. By 1971, serious ecological and environmental concerns were brought to the attention of the public. The threat of saltwater contamination in the fragile freshwater ecosystems of inland Florida subsequently brought the canal project to an end. Barge Port has managed to thrive in the absences of a Gulf of Mexico route.
Palatka, Florida
Palatka is a city in Putnam County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,033 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,796. It is the county seat of Putnam County and includes East Palatka. Palatka is the principal city of the Palatka...
. Positioned on the waters of the St. Johns River
St. Johns River
The St. Johns River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant for commercial and recreational use. At long, it winds through or borders twelve counties, three of which are the state's largest. The drop in elevation from the headwaters to the mouth is less than ;...
, tenant's enjoy access to navigable waterway maintained at 40 feet by the Army Corps of Engineers. The area is also accessible by CSX rail line
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
and US 17. Management and development of the site is conducted through Putnam County Port Authority
Putnam County Port Authority
Putnam County Port Authority is a public corporation established to develop and manage port facilities in Putnam County, Florida. Created in 1967 by Florida Law 67-1967, the port district is one of 16 in the Sunshine State. The Port Authority also owns and maintains industrial and commercial...
. Major port facilities are located 60 miles downriver in Jacksonville.
Existing Users at Barge Port:
- Apex Metal Fabrication
- AT&TAT&TAT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
- Beck Auto Group
- Caraustar Industrial & Consumer
- DSI Forms Inc,
- First Coast Technical College
- Florida Rock Industries
- Georgia Pacific
- Hanson plcHanson plcHanson plc is a British based international building materials company, headquartered in Maidenhead. Traded on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index for many years, the company was acquired by a division of German rival Heidelberg Cement in August 2007.-History:Hanson...
- Keith Marine
- Lion Pool Products
- Mitchell Grayson Inc
- Newcastle Shipyard LLC
- Price Brothers
- Prichett Trucking
- PDM Bridge
- Southwestern Electric
- Weststaff
History
In 1970, the Cross Florida Barge CanalCross Florida Barge Canal
The Cross Florida Barge Canal was a canal project to connect the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean across Florida for barge traffic. Two sections were built but the project was cancelled, mainly for environmental reasons. It is now a protected green belt corridor, one mile wide...
was still viewed as viable, with one-third of the project complete. That same year, Putnam County Port Authority
Putnam County Port Authority
Putnam County Port Authority is a public corporation established to develop and manage port facilities in Putnam County, Florida. Created in 1967 by Florida Law 67-1967, the port district is one of 16 in the Sunshine State. The Port Authority also owns and maintains industrial and commercial...
completed Barge Port in anticipation of increased development interest. Palatka
Palatka
Palatka may refer to:*Palatka, Florida, a city in the United States*Palatka, Russia, an urban-type settlement in Magadan Oblast, Russia*East Palatka, Florida, a census-designated place in the United States...
was seemingly poised to experience maritime growth due to its location on the St. Johns River
St. Johns River
The St. Johns River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant for commercial and recreational use. At long, it winds through or borders twelve counties, three of which are the state's largest. The drop in elevation from the headwaters to the mouth is less than ;...
and the newly constructed canal system. By 1971, serious ecological and environmental concerns were brought to the attention of the public. The threat of saltwater contamination in the fragile freshwater ecosystems of inland Florida subsequently brought the canal project to an end. Barge Port has managed to thrive in the absences of a Gulf of Mexico route.