The Port of Virginia has completed construction of a 55-foot deep shipping channel and harbor, the deepest commercial shipping channel on the US East Coast and a centrepiece of the port’s US$ 1.4 billion Gateway Investment Program.
Channel dredging was completed on February 28, with post-dredge surveying and additional maintenance work currently underway.
Maritime charts will be updated to reflect the increased depth and capacity once verification is complete, with all work scheduled for completion in late spring.
The project also included channel widening to accommodate two-way traffic of ultra-large container vessels, a component completed in February 2024. Together, the depth and width improvements position the port to handle the largest ships operating in Atlantic trade without restriction.
Sarah J. McCoy, Interim Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority, described the completion as establishing the Port of Virginia as a national leader in port infrastructure development. She highlighted the combination of deep channels, modern terminals, on-dock double-stack rail and expanding ULCV berth capacity as the foundation for the port’s long-term competitive positioning.
Alongside the channel work, the port activated a fourth ULCV berth in February at the South Berth of Norfolk International Terminals, where four new Suez-class cranes were also placed into service in January.
The port now operates two ULCV berths at both NIT South and Virginia International Gateway.
A fifth ULCV berth is under development at NIT’s North Berth and is scheduled to become operational in 2027.
Upon completion, the port will have an annual processing capacity of 5.8 million TEUs.
