Some of the larger container ships that call at four of the big container terminals at the Western part of the Port of New York-New Jersey (NY-NJ) harbour could be restricted, especially until the US Army Corps of Engineers completes a study of the Arthur Kill turning basin, according to JOC.com.
In order to deepen its channel to 15.2 metres and raise the air draft of the Bayonne Bridge, the Port of NY-NJ is currently spending US$3.4 billion.
Griffin Lynch, COO and Incoming Executive Director of the Georgia Ports Authority, said: “Our carriers have told us that, with a few exceptions here and there, they are going to watch the size of the ships that can call New York, and New York is going to dictate the timing of the rollout of the next largest size of the vessels they deploy.
“The carriers are all targeting 14,000-TEU ships as the size that they want to send through the Panama Canal and up the East Coast over the long-term.”
This follows news that the Port of New York had announced that it may need to further widen its channel to handle mega-ships, as part of an ongoing $1.2 billion project to deepen its channel to 15.2 metres.
The Port of NY-NJ previously set a record for cargo volumes coming through the port in 2015, having handled 10.4% more cargo in 2015 compared to 2014.
The Port Authority of NY-NJ rolled out its $6.5 billion 2016 budget, in which $175 million is to be spent on port infrastructure.
