The Port of Virginia today said it has sped up ship traffic with a newly dredged channel that is wide enough to allow two-way passage of ultra-large container vessels (ULCV), reducing the amount of time one of the large vessels spends on berth by up to 15%.
The job is part of the port’s overall $1.4 billion strategic infrastructure investment package that focuses on creating efficiency, supporting larger cargo volumes and increasing the speed of cargo moving through the gateway.
In parallel to widening the channel, the port is also dredging it and the Norfolk Harbor to 55 feet deep and the ocean approach to 59 feet deep. Upon completion of the $450 million dredging project in fall 2025, those changes will allow the port to boast of having the deepest, widest channels on the U.S. East Coast, port officials said.
“This is a true advantage for anyone delivering to or from America,” Stephen Edwards, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority, said in a release. “Our wider channel sets The Port of Virginia apart by allowing for consistent vessel flow, increasing berth and container yard efficiencies, and further improving harbor safety. Ocean carriers are putting larger vessels into their East Coast port rotations with additional ULCVs on order, and our partners know their vessels will not outgrow our capabilities. In Virginia, there is no concern for channel width, overhead draft restrictions, capacity or cargo handling infrastructure.”
