The US Government has said it will fully fund its portion of the deepening of the Jacksonville shipping channel through Blount Island with the largest single investment of federal funding in JAXPORT history.
Federal government has allocated US$93 million for the next phase of deepening the Jacksonville shipping channel to 14.5m from its current depth of 12m. A milestone for the project and a major victory for JAXPORT. T
Of the total investment, US$57,543,000 is included in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Fiscal Year 20 Work Plan, and an additional US$35,457,000 is allocated in the A Budget for America’s Future – President’s Budget FY 2021.
Upon completion of the deepening project, the terminal operator, SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal at Blount Island, will feature a vessel turning basin and have the ability to simultaneously accommodate two post-Panamax vessels. In November, the US Department of Transportation awarded JAXPORT a US$20 million grant to enable the facility to accommodate more containers on an expanded footprint.
Harbour deepening is divided into four segments, contracts A-D, which make up the full length of the 21km federally authorised project.
The current funding model covers the project’s first 18km through Blount Island (contracts A, B and C). Contractors for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are scheduled to complete the first 9km in spring 2020, marking the halfway point for this portion of the project.
Harbour deepening began in February 2018 and is anticipated to be completed in 2023, two years ahead of its original schedule, based on continued funding from all partners.
