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50 Foot Channels Not Deep Enough, Says VPA

[ August 29, 2015   //   ]

Seaports up and down the US East Coast are reading their facilities for the megaships they know are coming and stress the need for 50-foot channels.

Currently, only the Port of Virginia and Port of Baltimore offer such waters.

But not resting on its laurels, Virginia Port Authority (VPA) officials see the need for even deeper waters. Consequently, on June 15, leaders from the Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Port of Virginia came together again to sign a feasibility cost-share agreement, or FCSA, which commits each side to sharing the cost of evaluating the benefits of two dredging projects critical to the future of all the stakeholders and terminals along the Elizabeth River: the deepening of the Norfolk Harbor to a depth beyond 50 feet and the river’s Southern Branch to 45 feet.

The FCSA describes the project and the responsibilities of the federal government and the VPA in the cost-sharing and execution of work.

“The shipping industry is rapidly changing and a significant area of change is vessel size: the ships keep getting larger and ports need land-side infrastructure and deep water to accommodate them,” said John Reinhart, CEO and VPA executive director. “Presently, the largest vessels in the Atlantic trade call The Port of Virginia and fully-laden with cargo, they require every inch of our present channel-depth to safely operate. As the ships get bigger, they will be limited to where they can call on the East Coast; our goal is to provide deep, wide channels and safe passage to the vessels calling Virginia. This is part of the port’s larger plan to ensure a sustainable business model.”

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John Reinhart, CEO and VPA executive director and Colonel Paul Olsen, Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, sign the feasibility cost-share agreement, which commits each side to sharing the cost of evaluating the benefits of two dredging projects critical to the future of Norfolk Harbor. (Photo by Gerald Rogers)

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