Barbour: Port expansion means more jobs for Coast

Gov. Haley Barbour conceded today that a massive expansion of the state port at Gulfport will not be completed during his lifetime, but said the 84-acre expansion currently under way could bring thousands of jobs to Harrison County.

The 84-acre expansion is expected to be complete by late 2015.

Speaking at the Great Southern Club this afternoon, Barbour said Harrison County is the only coastal county in which unemployment has shrunk since Hurricane Katrina.

Employment is 10 percent lower today than it was before the storm.

Read more about Barbour's speech to the Gulf Coast Business Council and local response in Saturday's Sun Herald.

This story was originally published June 24, 2011 at 2:59 PM with the headline "Barbour: Port expansion means more jobs for Coast."