SPA: Ready to build port in 3 years AH: Aggressive agenda raises questions from Jasper County official, who cites an alternative plan.

Byline: KRIS WISE

Stirring a skeptical reaction, state port officials told lawmakers Thursday they could begin construction of a new terminal in Jasper County in as few as three years.

The South Carolina State Ports Authority pitched its aggressive agenda to a Senate ports committee, provoking questions from legislators about how the SPA would get the project off the ground while working on a controversial $600 million terminal in North Charleston.

SPA chief Bernie Groseclose estimated the proposed terminal at the former North Charleston Naval Base would reach its full capacity about a decade after it opens, maxing out sometime about 2025. He said the Jasper County terminal would be crucial to South Carolina's bid to keep up with growing trade as Charleston-area ports become overwhelmed.

It's a scenario Jasper County …