Posted on January 9, 2026
The Port of Virginia is close to finishing two major infrastructure projects that will allow it to efficiently handle some of the largest cargo ships in the world.
The port plans to finish dredging its channels to 55 feet deep and open a fourth berth for ultra-large container vessels this spring, according to a Tuesday announcement. The projects allow the port to handle the enormous cargo ships that travel to the East Coast.
“In order to be a twenty-first century port, you must have twenty-first century infrastructure,” Virginia Port Authority interim CEO and Executive Director Sarah McCoy said in a statement.
The $450 million channel widening and deepening project began construction in 2019, and will allow the ships to navigate safely without tidal restrictions or overhead obstructions. The project has also widened channels to allow for two-way traffic of the largest cargo ships. The widening work was completed in February 2024.
Additionally, the port is close to opening its second berth for ultra-large container vessels at Norfolk International Terminals. Two other berths are open at Virginia International Gateway in Portsmouth.
A fifth ultra-large berth is planned for Norfolk International Terminals and is scheduled to begin operation in 2027.
Companies that use the port can grow their volume without worrying about the port’s capacity, said Thomas Capozzi, Port of Virginia chief sales officer.
“Companies are taking note of what we are doing here, of how we treat their cargo today and how we are preparing for the future,” Capozzi said in the announcement.
Port traffic through November declined in 2025 as President Donald Trump implemented an aggressive tariff policy. The total number of 20-foot equivalent units that moved through the port fell around 8.2% through November 2025, to about 2.97 million TEUs, when compared to the same point in 2024, according to the most recent Port of Virginia shipping data.
The port is also searching for a new CEO and executive director after Stephen Edwards departed at the end of 2025.
