Page 20: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 2020)

Cruise Shipping Annual

Read this page in Pdf, Flash or Html5 edition of March 2020 Maritime Reporter Magazine

Dredging

Photo: Weeks Marine

Big Ship Ready

Port Dredging Kicks Off 2020 he end of the 2019 saw some unprecedent- Mobile in its FY2020 Work Plan, of? cially providing the re- ed funding measure pass through Congress sources to dredge Alabama’s Port of Mobile. The funding and signed into law by President Trump. – which accounts for the full federal share of the project cost

The Gulf and East Coast have continued to – will initiate and complete construction of the deepening and

T receive signi? cant funding to help deepen widening of the navigation channel. Following the required and widen navigational channels and gate- preliminary steps, construction is expected to begin later this ways. One of the projects passed into law year. In addition, $85.35 million was allocated in the FY20 included the Gulf Coast Regional Demonstration Project. work plan to initiate construction of deepening the Missis-

Some of the ports receiving funding and underway include sippi River Ship Channel, Gulf to Baton Rouge (Louisiana)

Mobile, Baltimore, Houston, Port Everglades and Norfolk. to 50 feet.

All these projects funded by Congress draw a direct correla- tion to the expanded Panama Canal. The newly expanded The Port of Baltimore, Maryland

Panama Canal now allows ships three times the size of what The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, an- they were in 2016 to transit though its waterways. And all nounced in February that Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Com- those Neo-Panamax ships are destined for ports along the east pany began dredging approximately 5.5 million cubic yards and gulf coasts. Let’s look at some of the ports and projects: of material from ? ve channels and the York Spit; all of which are associated with the Baltimore Harbor.

The Gulf Coast Demonstration Project Commenting on the project, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

In December 2019, the FY2020 Energy and Water Devel- Colonel John Litz, Baltimore District Commander said: opment appropriations bill was signed into law as part of “Baltimore Harbor channels rely on maintenance dredging to

H.R.1865 and included a new regional dredge demonstration serve and strengthen the region and the nation, energize the program for the central Gulf Coast. The program, adminis- economy, and reduce navigation safety risks.” The amount of tered by the Corps, was created to explore innovative ways material being removed would cover the ? eld at M&T Bank of executing dredging in a logical and sequenced manner to Stadium, goalpost to goalpost, to a height of nearly 2,600 seek ef? ciencies and cost savings and minimize disruptions feet, or high enough to stack more than six Baltimore World to critical construction and maintenance dredging require- Trade Centers. “Many diverse commodities import and ex- ments across the nation. On February 10, 2020 the U.S. Army port from the Port of Baltimore on a daily basis, such as spe-

Corps of Engineers allocated $274,300,000 for the Port of cialized cargo and containers that broke records in 2019,” 20 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • March 2020

MR #3 (18-33).indd 20 3/4/2020 9:53:57 AM

Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.