New Berth Activated At Bridgetown Port

Barbados Port Inc. has made another mark in its history. The newly constructed Berth 6 at the Port of Bridgetown today received its first container vessel.

The berth, outfitted with two new ship-to-shore gantry cranes, is part of the Port’s ongoing capital works programme aimed at improving operational efficiency.

With the main concrete dock of Berth 6 now completed, work continues with the addition of 25,000 sq metres (6.2 acres) of new container stacking space. This work is expected to be fully completed by January 2026.

Speaking about today’s activation of the cranes, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), David Jean-Marie said: “This marks a significant milestone in the continued development of Port infrastructure. With Berth 6 and the new gantry cranes in operation, the Port’s cargo handling capacity is doubled and there is significantly more flexibility in balancing cargo and cruise vessel calls.”

The CEO added: “Based on current bookings, there is only a single day where a berth is not available to cargo ships during the morning to evening period, that is Sunday, December 7th, 2025.”

Barbados Port Inc. in April 2025, instituted a Priority Berthing Policy to provide a more consistent framework for container vessel handling. Priority berthing has been assigned to five cargo lines which regularly call at Bridgetown. December 7 is not registered as an assigned slot for regularly scheduled cargo ships.

There has been a consistent increase in the level of imports to the island, supporting retail, construction and homeporting activity.

During the first 11 months of this year, the volume of containerised cargo handled approximately 116,000 Twenty-foot equivalent (TEUs), which is almost equal to the total TEUs handled for the entire calendar year 2024.

As the 2025/2026 winter cruise season moves into its peak period, the expanded operational capacity of Berth 6 will be essential to reduce delays and wait periods. (PR/GIS)