19.1 C
Hamburg
Sunday, June 1, 2025
Home Port News Port of Virginia to become US East Coast’s deepest port

Port of Virginia to become US East Coast’s deepest port

The Port of Virginia has announced it will create the deepest and widest shipping channels on the US East Coast by late 2024, while the federal work plan has recently been approved.

The work includes dredging the port’s shipping channels to 16.7 metres, with deeper ocean approaches, and widening them up to 426 metres in specific areas. When dredging is complete in 2024, the commercial channels serving the Norfolk Harbor will be able to simultaneously accommodate two ultra-large container vessels.

“The Norfolk Harbor deepening and widening project will enable safe, two-way traffic in and out of Norfolk Harbor that will support increased commercial activity at the Port of Virginia,” said Mark R. Warner, member of the United States Senate.

Released by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the work plan allocates funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, containing US$72 million for the dredging project.

The total estimated cost of the project is US$450 million, with the federal government and the port agreeing to a 50-50 cost share of the project at its outset in 2015, when the USACE began evaluating the economic value of a deeper and wider Norfolk Harbor and commercial shipping channel.

Stephen A. Edwards, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority commented, “The container ships must have deep water to safely operate and two-way movement of big ships, unrestricted by tide or channel width, is a significant long-term competitive advantage that adds capacity for Virginia.”

Edwards added that the success of the project has been driven by the long-term support it has received from Virginia’s Congressional delegation, the Virginia Legislature, the Norfolk District of US Army Corps of Engineers and the Virginia Maritime Association.

The dredging work began in December 2019, nearly two-and-a-half years ahead of schedule, according to the US port.

“Modern container terminals served by deep, wide channels and the ability for cargo to reach important markets by rail truck and barge positions the Port of Virginia to be the East Coast’s premier trade gateway,” commented Edwards and concluded, “This will fuel cargo growth, job creation and economic investment across the Commonwealth for decades to come.”





Latest Posts

The Indian Ocean Rivalry

The Indian Ocean has emerged as a strategic theater of competition between two Asian giants: India and China. India’s recent developments indicate a rapid expansion...

Statkraft advances plans for green hydrogen scheme at Hunterston

Europe’s largest generator of renewable energy has proposed the development of a green hydrogen facility at Hunterston, the former coal terminal in Ayrshire. Clydeport –...

Port of Bilbao wraps up busiest month for cruise traffic

May has marked a record month for cruise activity at the Port of Bilbao’s terminal in Getxo, with 18 cruise ship calls bringing over...

Tripoli port shutdown sparks maritime crisis in Libya

Libya’s shipping sector is teetering on the edge of collapse as fresh waves of political violence erupt in Tripoli, crippling key port operations and...

Klaipėda port embarks on green hydrogen initiative

Klaipėda Port launched its green hydrogen initiative, positioning itself as the first in Lithuania and the broader Baltic region to produce and supply green...
error: Content is protected !!