Posted on April 22, 2024
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District, Port of Virginia and the City of Virginia Beach will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the commencement of the Atlantic Ocean Channel Phase II on Thursday, April 25, 2024, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.
The ceremony will celebrate the commencement of construction for the final Norfolk Harbor Deepening contract in May 2024, along with the exciting upcoming beach nourishment projects at Resort and Croatan Beaches in Virginia Beach.
Venue:
2nd Street Municipal Park, Virginia Beach.
Authorized in 1876 and modified by numerous River and Harbor Acts through the 1986 Water Resources Development Act, the Norfolk Harbor Channel is the largest, and one of the oldest operations and maintenance projects for the Norfolk District.
Norfolk District assists the Virginia Port Authority in maintaining the Norfolk Harbor to allow for deep draft vessels to call on the Ports of Hampton Roads, allowing for billions of dollars in economic impact for the region.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Virginia Port Authority are proceeding with design measures to expand Norfolk Harbor’s shipping channels, which will improve navigation and energize the national, state, and local economy.
The “Wider, Deeper, Safer” dredging project will deepen the Inner Harbor channels to 55 feet, Chesapeake Bay’s Thimble Shoal Channel to 56 feet and Atlantic Ocean Channel to 59 feet. The Thimble Shoal Channel will also be widened up to 1,400 feet in select areas, allowing for ultra-large container vessel two-way traffic.
