In a Nov. 6 column, A challenge for Miami port, Joe Reeder, a member of the Panama Canal's International Advisory Board, explored the new trade realities that will be ushered in by the greatest expansion project in the Panama Canal's history.

Like the Panama Canal, the Port of Miami is undergoing some of the most aggressive infrastructure upgrades since our port's inception more than 100 years ago. More than $1 billion in infrastructure is to come online in the next five years, timed with the Panama Canal's 2014 expansion completion.

The expanded canal will be a game changer for container trade. America's trade with East Asia, China, in particular, is expected to increase a shift from Pacific ports to Atlantic ports. As the closest U.S. port to the Panama Canal, the Port of Miami expects to be the first port of call for post-Panamax vessels.

To capitalize on this shift, the Port of Miami is making three fundamental improvements.

First, we will dredge our cargo harbor to a 50-foot depth, making us one of only three U.S. seaports on the Eastern Seaboard that can accommodate the world's largest container vessels.

Second, we are moving forward with the Port of Miami Tunnel project, giving trucks direct highway access. We expect to double our cargo capacity in less than 15 years because of this dedicated roadway between the Port of Miami and the MacArthur Causeway Bridge and I-395.

Finally, we are building an intermodal and distribution network in cooperation with strategic partners like the Florida East Coast Railway.

Combined with other significant investments in our terminal yards, gantry cranes, gate complexes and roadway systems, the port will be ready for the realities brought on by the Panama Canal expansion.

5 !!END TAG!! port director, Port of Miami, Miami