TheChas has completed a 55-foot deep shipping channel and harbour, making it the deepest on the US East Coast and a key component of its $1.4 billion Gateway Investment Program.
The upgraded channel can accommodate ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) in two-way traffic, strengthening the port’s position as a modern Atlantic gateway.
Sarah J. McCoy, Interim Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority, said: “Completion of this project positions The Port of Virginia as a national leader in US port infrastructure development and will help drive the Virginia economy. With a restriction-free channel that is capable of easily handling the biggest ships in the Atlantic trade, we are.”
Dredging finished on 28 February, with post-dredge surveys now underway to confirm depths and widths. Once mapping is complete, maritime charts will be updated, with all work scheduled for late spring.
READ: Port of Virginia nears gateway investment programme completion
The port has also brought a fourth ULCV berth at the South Berth of Norfolk International Terminals into operation, alongside four new Suez-class cranes, giving two ULCV berths each at NIT South and Virginia International Gateway.
A fifth berth at NIT North is scheduled for 2027, which will raise the port’s annual throughput capacity to 5.8 million TEUs.
McCoy added: “This project has been a group effort supported by many users of Norfolk Harbor. It’s especially important to recognise our primary partner, the US Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, who worked with us nearly daily to see this project through.”
The completion of the 55-foot channel complements the port’s ongoing modernisation efforts. In February, the Port of Virginia continued to expand capacity, recently adding infrastructure to safely handle simultaneous calls by ULCVs.
For more information:
Port of Virginia – https://www.portofvirginia.com/
