Approval has been given to a US port channel deepening project designed to accommodate the next generation of mega ships.
The Broward County Board of County Commissioners approved a Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) to move forward with the Port Everglades Navigation Improvements Project.
South Florida-based Port Everglades said: “The USACOE project will deepen the port’s navigation channel from 42 feet to 48-50 feet and widen narrow channel areas to take advantage of the greater economies of scale from larger container cargo and petroleum ships.”
The full deepening and widening project is designed to enable safe passage of next generation cruise, bulk, petroleum and deep draft Neo-Panamax cargo ships. Port Everglades already handles Neo-Panamax vessels from Europe and South America, but the ships must be lightly loaded, which is inefficient, especially as older fleets are being replaced.
It is anticipated that, when completed in 2029, the project will create nearly 1,500 permanent direct jobs resulting from additional cargo capacity. Port Everglades is a top container port in the state of Florida and one of the top three cruise ports worldwide.
