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New Study Looks at Panama Canal Expansion’s Effect on Texas Transportation
In a national referendum October 22, Panamanians voted more than three to one in support of the expansion, which would enable the nearly century–old waterway to handle larger ships.
The study, conducted by Cambridge Systematics, found that the Panama Canal expansion will have a significant effect on the state's intermodal transportation system and will accelerate growth at all of the state's seaports. The study predicts that the Texas coast stands to become the preferred shipping point for moving goods throughout the United States.
"The Panama Canal expansion will have profound impacts on job opportunities and economic development for Texas, as well as solidify Texas as the trade corridor of this hemisphere for decades to come," said Transportation Commissioner Ted Houghton. "The commission is committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure Texas is ready to respond to this significant shift in trade."
In the longer term, the study found, the Panama Canal expansion will have an even more profound effect on the state’s transportation system. As traffic through the canal increases, other Texas ports are likely to make improvements to capture market share while shippers will evaluate their supply chain with an eye toward development of new distribution centers and warehouses. Increasing volumes of intermodal freight will also result in transportation, environmental, and land use issues at or around Texas’ port facilities.
Read a copy of the study, "Effects of the Panama Canal Expansion on Texas Ports and Highway Corridors."
