en.Wedoany.com Reported - The commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has signed a report formally recommending the deepening and widening of the federal channel at the Port of Gulfport, Mississippi, clearing a key obstacle for the $548 million project and paving the way for congressional authorization under this year's Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).
The Chief's Report was signed by Lt. Gen. William H. "Butch" Graham Jr., the Corps' commanding general. Under the plan, the existing channel will be deepened from 36 feet (approximately 11 meters) to 46 feet (approximately 14 meters), and widened from 300 feet (approximately 91 meters) to 350 feet (approximately 107 meters). The project aims to accommodate larger vessels, thereby enhancing the port's competitiveness along the Gulf Coast.
Funding will be split 75% from the federal government and 25% from state and local sources. The next step is to secure congressional authorization through the Water Resources Development Act, the legislative channel for major U.S. water infrastructure projects, after which appropriations can be allocated.
Jon Nass, CEO and Executive Director of the Port of Gulfport, stated that this progress is the result of years of collaboration and will help the port achieve long-term competitiveness, a more resilient supply chain, and create more economic opportunities for the entire state of Mississippi. He previously indicated that the entire project, from the study phase to completion, would take approximately eight years.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves described the approval as the culmination of nearly two decades of sustained effort. He believes the deepened channel will attract larger vessel types, expanding the state's logistics footprint. Bill Cork, Executive Director of the Mississippi Development Authority, noted that the project will help the port better serve existing customers and attract new business.
The Port of Gulfport currently handles north-south container trade and breakbulk cargo, offering on-dock rail service via Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway (CPKC). Designated as a Strategic Seaport, it is equipped with 1,400 refrigerated container plugs for handling perishable goods and hosts research, development, and manufacturing facilities focused on unmanned maritime systems.
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