The Seattle Harbor Navigation Improvement Project, which seeks to deepen the harbor’s waterways and open them to larger container ships, is now eligible for congressional authorization following approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Corps Commanding General Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite signed off on their findings for the Seattle Harbor Navigation Improvement Project earlier this month. That project calls for deepening of both the East and West Waterways to 57 feet below mean lower low water. They can currently operate between 34 and 51 feet below mean lower low water.
“This project will make the Port of Seattle the deepest container port in the nation at 57 feet deep,” Port of Seattle Commission President Courtney Gregoire said. “This is another step forward to making T-5 big ship ready, and able to handle the largest cargo vessels in the world. The Port of Seattle and The Northwest Seaport Alliance thank the Army Corps of Engineers for their timely completion of this study and recognition of the value the project will contribute to our nation.”
If Congress approves, the Corps and Port of Seattle will next begin a design phase, followed by construction.