NORFOLK, VA – Gov. Abigail Spanberger Thursday inaugurated The Port of Virginia’s® newest asset: the deepest harbor and shipping channel anywhere on the US East Coast.
Though the $450 million effort to deepen the channel to 55 feet was complete in February, the governor introduced the project to the world.
“Today, we are sending a clear message to the entire world: The Port of Virginia is wide open for business,” Spanberger said. “The port is now home to the deepest commercial shipping channel on the entire East Coast of the United States. Because of this investment, the largest cargo ships in the Atlantic trade, and the next generation coming behind them, can now safely transit Norfolk Harbor with a full load.
“This project allows ocean carriers to load more Virginia agricultural and forestry exports than ever before, soybeans, wood pulp, and lumber, keeping shipping costs down and keeping our farmers competitive on the global stage. And when manufacturers are deciding where to relocate, they will have the peace-of-mind knowing that their goods can be moved reliably and efficiently.”
The deepening was substantially completed Feb. 28, with ongoing maintenance and clean-up efforts being conducted by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Once all support work has concluded, with the expanded and deepened channel surveyed and depths verified, maritime charts will be update to reflect the increased capacity.
The dredging project also included widening areas of the channel, which allows for two-way traffic of ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs); the widening project was completed in Feb. 2024.
Virginia Port Authority CEO and Executive Director Sarah J. McCoy said the port’s assets — modern terminals, twenty-first century cargo conveyance systems, on-dock, double-stack rail, overall growing efficiency and expanding berth capacity for ULCVs — combined with deep, wide channels position the port for the future.
“Delivering projects like the 55-foot channel are important today, but the real value of what we are doing is how it positions us for the future,” Ms. McCoy said. “With all of our foundational elements in place, we are assuring our customers and port users that they will be able to expand their operations and cargo volumes at The Port of Virginia without concern for outgrowing our capabilities. We’re prepared today for the demands of decades to come.”
In addition to completion of the dredge work, the event marked the half-way point of construction on the North Berth modernization and expansion project, which includes four new low-profile ship-to-shore cranes, a reconfigured container stack-yard and an expanded technology backbone. When the North Berth work is complete the port’s annual throughput capacity will be 5.8 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). Moreover, when the North Berth opens it will allow the port’s fifth ULCV berth to come online.
(VPA photo)