Sanford proposes $100 million for road

Access route would link terminal with I-26, but lawmakers still must support spending

By BEN WERNER

bwerner@thestate.com

The State Ports Authority plan to expand operations at the Charleston Naval Base got a $100 million shot in the arm from Gov. Mark Sanford Wednesday.

A preview of the governor’s budget proposal included funding to build a much-needed access road to the Ports Authority’s planned three-berth terminal.

Sanford wants to spend $100 million in 2007 to start construction on a road that links the new terminals in North Charleston with I-26.

It’s far from a done deal: Lawmakers would have to include the funding in the final state budget they send to the governor.

But the history of this port-expansion project in Charleston suggests lawmakers will support the road spending.

When the Ports Authority first wanted to expand on Daniel Island, residents and environmentalists raised concerns about the project, said Sen. John Courson, R-Richland, a member of the influential Senate Finance Committee.

Courson led the effort to encourage the Ports Authority to consider alternate sites, such as the Naval Base.

“I will support it,” Courson said. “It was a good-faith effort on all sides.”

Completing the road project would require another $177 million. Sanford also said Wednesday he will propose that spending in future budgets.

But building this access road really is the linchpin needed to lock in the potential success of the new shipping terminals.

“The port access road is the last thing that’s needed,” said Byron Miller, spokesman for the Ports Authority.

Without the funding in place for the access road, Miller said the Ports Authority would face a near-impossible task of raising more than $600 million from capital markets to build the terminals.

The new terminal, to be built at the old Charleston Navy Base, is designed to handle three ships simultaneously.

The Ports Authority is funding the construction with money it raises from fees charged to port users. The fees will pay off the bonds the Ports Authority plans to issue to fund the project.

Once completed, the Ports Authority predicts the new terminals would handle more than 1 million 20-foot-equivalent unit containers annually. That would result in a 50 percent increase from the total 1.98 million containers moved during fiscal year 2006.

“Our administration is committed to not only funding this access road, but also to growing our port capacity through expansions at the Navy base and establishing a port in Jasper County,” Sanford said.

The proposed Jasper County port, though, has been hung up in court proceedings. The state of Georgia owns the land proposed for the port and is fighting its condemnation by South Carolina.

Sanford is committed to building a port in Jasper County, spokesman Joel Sawyer said. The money provided to help expand the Charleston project is not intended to send any sort of message.

“It’s not one or the other,” Sawyer said. “It’s important to do both.”

Efforts to reach Andrew Fulghum, Jasper County administrator, were unsuccessful.

Lawmakers will begin work on the state budget next month for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

Reach Werner at (803) 771-8509.