Posted on July 5, 2023
NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LaDOTD), and the Port of Iberia signed a partnering agreement to begin efforts to advance the Port of Iberia, Louisiana project.
“USACE is excited for the opportunity to partner with LaDOTD as well as the Port of Iberia to advance this critical navigation effort to deepen the channel as the Port provides both a regional and national value to the nation” said Colonel Cullen Jones, New Orleans District Commander. “It is our hope that these efforts will help derive a more economical project that will compete well to receive Federal dollars to advance this critical effort.”
The Port of Iberia is a 57.5-mile waterway that provides access to the Gulf of Mexico and includes the Commercial Canal, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and Freshwater Bayou. The current plan consists of widening and deepening the waterway from the existing depth of 12 feet to a depth of 16 feet with a bottom width of 150 feet. The initial Federal Investment along with the Non-Federal investment will be used to fund the completion of a full Validation Report.
LaDOTD’s Director of Waterways for the Office of Multimodal Commerce, Chris Collins said “The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development celebrates the restart of this vital economic development project. The partnership between DOTD, the Port of Iberia and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District, Is a reminder of what we can accomplish together.”
“Since coming to Congress, I have worked to secure critical investments for our ports and waterways. This includes our efforts to advance the Acadiana Gulf of Mexico Access Channel,” said Congressman Higgins. “The construction of AGMAC will increase economic opportunities for South Louisiana. My office will continue to work with the Port of Iberia, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the state to ensure the completion of AGMAC.”
Craig Ramero, Executive Director for the Port of Iberia added “this is an exciting Day for the Port of Iberia, the Acadiana Region, the State of Louisiana, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and I would like to give special thanks to our entire State & Federal Delegation, especially Congressman Clay Higgins (LA 3rd District), for their continued support for the Port of Iberia and the AGMAC Channel Deepening Project. Keeping our navigational access to Gulf of Mexico is critical our industries survival here in Acadiana”
The Port of Iberia, Louisiana project was originally authorized for construction in Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2006, then reauthorized in WRDA 2014. The Validation Report will be conducted over the next 12-14 months to confirm the total project cost and benefits of the project.
