Posted on February 25, 2020
The Maryland Port Administration has been awarded $1.5 million from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help move forward with a project that will enable the Port of Baltimore to handle multiple big ships simultaneously.
The money will fund a new study to assess potential navigation improvements, like deepening or widening, for channels serving the Seagirt Marine Terminal. There, the Port Administration and Ports America Chesapeake are partnering on the $33.8 million construction of a second 50-foot deep berth, set to be operational in 2021.
Currently, it would be too difficult for large container ships to get in and out of the berth because the basin is not wide enough for the ships to turn around. The Port Administration is considering a “loop channel” that will fix the problem.
“[The loop channel] will allow a vessel to arrive or depart without having to turn in the basin,” said Richard Scher, a spokesman for the Port Administration. “It makes the vessel maneuver faster and more efficient and provides more navigational flexibility for Seagirt. The first step though before work begins is to study the feasibility of actually doing it. That’s what the $1.5 million is for.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers included the funding for the loop channel study in its fiscal year 2020 work plan recently submitted to Congress.
Scher said the project also “fits in nicely” with the Port Administration’s plans for reconstructing the Howard Street Tunnel. The $466 million project would enable double-stacked container trains to travel to and from the Port of Baltimore. Currently, the 125-year-old tunnel’s height means it can only accommodate single-stacked container trains.
Gov. Larry Hogan included about $80 million in funding for the reconstruction in his latest budget proposal. If approved by the General Assembly, the project could be completed within five years.
Maryland’s contribution over the course of the project totals $202.5 million from a variety of sources. Other sources include a $125 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and a $113 million commitment from CSX Corp., which owns the 1.7-mile-long tunnel. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is also providing $22.5 million to assist with clearance improvements at 10 bridges between Baltimore and Philadelphia.
The Port of Baltimore has experienced major growth in recent years as a result of its ability to handle the larger ships coming through the expanded Panama Canal, which opened in 2016. The port handled a record 43.6 million tons of international cargo last year between the state- and privately-owned marine terminals.
Source: bizjournals.com
