A multifaceted package of significant investments will increase navigational safety and efficiency at the Port of New York and New Jersey, the busiest container port on the East Coast.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced the plans in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“For about 50 million people across several states, this port is the reason why we have food to eat, shoes on our feet and beds to go to sleep,” Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said. “The port is the economic foundation on which the region is built, and now we’re strengthening that foundation even further with millions of dollars of investment alongside our longtime partners at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.”
Investments include more than $50 million through the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for berth maintenance dredging, berth rehabilitation and berth reconstruction; and $32 million to deepen and widen the Gravesend Anchorage outside the Kill van Kull waterway from its current depth of 47 feet to 50 feet.
The seaport’s cargo volumes are expected to double or triple by 2050, according to the port authority’s long term forecasts.
The initiatives complement the port authority’s investments in the port’s land access.