The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has outlined a multifaceted package of significant investments in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The package looks to boost navigational safety and efficiency at the East Coast’s busiest container port.
The new investments between the Port Authority and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers include more than $50 million through the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for the seaport’s berth maintenance dredging, berth rehabilitation, and berth reconstruction.
Additionally, a separate $32 million project will deepen and widen the Gravesend Anchorage outside the Kill van Kull waterway from its current depth of 47 feet to 50 feet, which will provide a location for large ships to anchor between Ambrose Anchorage in the Atlantic Ocean and the seaport’s container terminals.
Anchorage space that is large and deep enough to handle the largest containerships calling the PANYNJ aims to improve the port’s safety and efficiency, allowing large ships to move closer to the port during inspections, refuelling or inclement weather and to have an emergency refuge area in the event of a mechanical or navigational issue.
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“For about 50 million people across several states, this port is the reason why we have food to eat, shoes on our feet and beds to go to sleep,” said Port Authority Chairman, Kevin O’Toole.
“The port is the economic foundation on which the region is built, and now we’re strengthening that foundation even further with millions of dollars of investment alongside our longtime partners at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.”
“Our gateway’s flexibility and efficiency have enabled us to absorb an unprecedented cargo surge during the pandemic and lend a helping hand when disaster struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore,” said Port Authority Executive Director, Rick Cotton.
“The port’s success is built upon our partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers, and we thank them for their longtime support of the Port of New York and New Jersey.”
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“Our collaboration with the Port Authority, the states of New York and New Jersey, and the U.S. Coast Guard is essential in ensuring the port remains competitive and capable of handling large container vessels that help drive our nation’s supply chain and spur economic growth,” said Michael Connor, Assistant Secretary of civil works of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“This plan is a major priority for the Biden administration and sets forth a consensus vision and strategy for future ecosystem restoration in the region that, in concert with our navigation improvements to come, will ensure the Port of New York and New Jersey remains a premier port for the years to come.”
Just recently, the PANYNJ Board of Commissioners approved the agency’s acquisition of full ownership of the Howland Hook Marine Terminal.
