By Kimberly Arsenault
Contributor, EDM Digest
In December of 2016, as part of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was given the green light to move forward with the expansion and improvements at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Post-Panamax Ships Need Deeper Ports
The federal authorization in December allows for the deepening and widening of the Port’s navigation channels in order to accommodate the [link url=”http://www.porteverglades.net/expansion/harbor-improvements/” title=”taller and wider container ships”] now in use, known as [link url=”https://amuedge.com/ports-connecting-people-and-products/” title=”post-Panamax ships”]. The [link url=”http://www.npr.org/2016/06/25/483523910/the-5-billion-panama-canal-expansion-opens-sunday-amidst-shipping-concerns” title=”Panama Canal expansion”] that opened in June of 2016 is now able accommodate the larger-sized post-Panamax container ships, decreasing shipping times and creating opportunities for additional ports to receive these larger ships, making it important for the nation to invest in its waterways infrastructure. Previously, these larger ships exceeded the size of the older locks on the Panama Canal. Many ports are still unable to accommodate these larger ships, as at least an additional fifty foot depth is required at most receiving ports.
Port Everglades Navigation Improvement Project
Currently, the Port Everglades Navigation Improvement Project is in the preconstruction, engineering, and design phase and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been working to conduct additional studies on the environmental impact of the project. The additional studies will help ensure that impacts to the environment that could be affected by the project are known, the findings of which the public will be kept informed. These studies are being conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, and Port Everglades is dedicated to incorporating lessons learned from past projects and helping protect the region’s vital natural resources. The current phase is scheduled to be completed in 2018.
In a recent statement, Port Everglades in Broward County, Florida expressed its support for the studies and its commitment to environmental stewardship through the use of best practices, including “environmental monitoring and interagency cooperation.” They have further committed to ensuring the process is “rigorous, open and inclusive” through the use of science and engineering standards that are state of the art, while also being dedicated to including stakeholder input throughout the process.
Project Will Create Local Jobs
The project is expected to create almost 1,500 permanent jobs as a result of the increased cargo capacity at the port, while another approximate 2,200 jobs will be added during the construction phase. The current status of the project in its current phase has it moving through the processes for permitting and federal funding.
[relink url=”https://amuedge.com/ports-connecting-people-and-products/” url2=”https://amuedge.com/the-cost-effective-movement-of-cargo-inland-waterways/” url3=”https://amuedge.com/locks-making-inland-waterways-navigable/”]
The investment in this port will help the United States remain competitive in the global market because the post-Panamax ships can carry more than double the amount of shipping containers (12,000 versus 5,000), [link url=”http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/a/#p/ports/conditions-and-capacity” title=” reducing shipping costs by an estimated 15-20%”] as indicated by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
[relink url=”https://amuedge.com/infrastructure-critical-to-americas-continued-economic-success/”]