Archive | www.aapa-ports.org |
June 23, 2015 |
Dredging: Virginia
Print this Article | Send to Colleague
Channel Deepening: US Army Corps, Port of Virginia Sign Cost-Sharing Agreement
Nearly a decade ago, leaders from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District and The Port of Virginia heralded the completion of the 50-foot channel project.
This June 15, the Corps and port leaders came together again to sign a Feasibility Cost Share Agreement (FCSA) that commits each side to sharing the cost of evaluating the benefits of two dredging projects: the deepening of the Norfolk Harbor to a depth beyond 50 feet and the river’s Southern Branch to 45 feet.
The Corps was represented by Col. Paul B. Olsen, Norfolk District Engineer, and the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) by John Reinhart, its CEO and executive director.
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," Mr. Reinhart said.
"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."
"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."
Col. Olsen responded by saying: "Virginia must be prepared for the post-Panamax era, and the one thing I have learned is that is 50 feet is not enough. If The Port of Virginia is not deep enough for the next generation of ships ... they’ll not want to go to Virginia anymore, they will want to go to another port, and possibly another port in another nation. That is why this work is so important."
|
Asociación Americana de Autoridades Portuarias
1201 Maryland Ave SW, Suite 860, Washington, D.C. 20024
E: info@aapa-ports.org
W: www.aapa-ports.org
