The US House of Representatives passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) on September 28, 2016, helping to further secure the Charlestown Harbour Deepening Project.
The project will, once completed, deepen the Harbour to 54 feet at the entrance channel and 52 feet in the harbour.
Jim Newsome, President and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), said: “We applaud the House of Representatives for making this critical legislation a priority before the lame duck session,
“The entire South Carolina Delegation has worked diligently to ensure the bill moves forward in order to enable the project to begin construction next year. Thanks to their support, we are well-positioned to be the deepest harbour on the East Coast by the end of the decade.”
Technical Paper: Winning the Harbour Depth Race
The bill passed with a vote of 399-25, and a conference committee will be formed to work through the differences between the House and Senate versions during the Congressional recess.
Pat McKinney, Board Chairman SCPAA, said: “Passage of this bill by the House represents another hurdle cleared for Charleston Harbour Deepening,”
“We are deeply appreciative of our entire delegation's efforts. This milestone is the result of years of hard work and ensures our Port's world-class deepening project remains on track.”
The Charleston Harbour Deepening Project was formally recommended for Congressional authorization in January with the issuance of the Record of Decision by the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works).
The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) reported in August, 2016 that it had achieved the highest container volumes on record, having handled more than 180,000 TEU for the month, a year-over-year increase of 5.6%.
