SALISBURY, Md. - Wicomico County leaders are asking the state to help study the long-term future of the Port of Salisbury, Maryland’s second-largest commercial port.
The county wants the study to examine the port’s infrastructure needs, economic potential and possible new commodities that could be transported along the Wicomico River.
Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano said the study could help determine what the port is capable of supporting over the next 10, 20 and 30 years.
“The Port of Salisbury is not just the county’s asset,” Giordano said. “It’s a state asset. You know, it’s huge for agriculture, for businesses, for commerce, for economic development.”
Giordano said the county wants better data before committing future tax dollars to the port.
“We want to make sure we’re not just making assumptions,” Giordano said. “So we want to have good data. And that’s really what we hope to get out of this study.”
The port moves roughly 1.5 million tons of goods each year, according to Dave Ryan with Salisbury-Wicomico Economic Development. Those products include grain, soybean oil, petroleum and construction materials.
Ryan said the port has an estimated annual economic impact of about $225 million and supports roughly 600 jobs.
He also said moving products by barge keeps approximately 40,000 trucks off area highways each year.
“It’s a critical asset to the economy here,” Ryan said. “It’s a differentiating asset. And not every community has a port.”
Maintaining commercial traffic also plays a role in keeping the Wicomico River navigable.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredges the river to maintain access for commercial barges. Giordano said keeping up with that dredging is critical to the port’s future.
“If the port doesn’t get dredged, we won’t be able to bring the barges up the river,” Giordano said.
Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce President Bill Chambers said continued activity at the port is important to maintaining that dredging schedule. He said expanding commercial use could also bring additional businesses, jobs and tax revenue to the area.
Chambers said one possibility discussed for the future is moving some commercial port activity farther down the river, beyond existing bridge constraints, which he believes could create additional opportunities for expansion.
County leaders say the proposed study could help determine which investments make sense while identifying new industries and products that could use the port in the future.
