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Port Everglades Applauds U.S. Army Corps Feasibility Report for Channel Deepening and Widening

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Port Everglades welcomed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ release of its draft report for deepening and widening the South Florida seaport’s navigational channels. Release of the USACOE Feasibility Report with Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Port Everglades Harbor, on June 28, kicked off an official 45-day comment period in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. 

"This has been an exhaustive study process – 17 years – for the Corps to ensure that this project is economically and environmentally sound. The fact is that Port Everglades must have deeper water for the newer, larger generation of cargo ships that are replacing the older fleet worldwide, including those transiting the Panama Canal," said Port Everglades Chief Executive & Port Director Steven Cernak, PPM®. "We appreciate the dedicated efforts of our Broward County Commissioners, Gov. Rick Scott, and our state and federal legislators, especially Congresswomen Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Lois Frankel, whose districts include Port Everglades, and who strongly advocated for the project in Tallahassee and Washington so that Port Everglades can continue to support jobs and provide economic stability to Florida." 

The total project will deepen the Port Everglades channel from 42 feet to 48 feet (with an additional two feet of allowable overdepth for a total of 50 feet), and widen the channel entrance so that cargo ships can safely pass cruise ships docked along the Intracoastal Waterway inside the port. The total cost for deepening and widening Port Everglades’ navigational channels is estimated at $313 million, which will be paid for through a combination of federal funds, port user fees and possibly state funds. No local tax dollars will be used for this project.
 

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