Transformation of Brooklyn and Howland Hook terminals announced
NewsMayor Adams, Governor Hochul, NYCEDC, and Port Authority announced a plan to transform Brooklyn and Howland Hook terminals.
NY/NJ Port unveils US$ 82 m investment plan, backed by HMTF funds
Port of New York and New Jersey to enhance navigational safety and operational efficiency with a US$82 million investment plan supported by HMTF funds.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has announced a comprehensive investment plan in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) aimed at enhancing navigational safety and operational efficiency at the East Coast’s busiest container port.
The new investments include more than US$50 million through the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) for the seaport’s berth maintenance dredging, berth rehabilitation and berth reconstruction.
New York is the latest port to reveal funding from HMTF following the fund’s recent reform.
Read more:
- Port of Long Beach posts stronger April volumes, wins HMTF funding
- Port of LA wins US$58M for harbour maintenance
Additionally, a separate US$32 million project will deepen and widen the Gravesend Anchorage outside the Kill van Kull waterway from its current depth of 47 feet to 50 feet, which will provide a location for large ships to anchor between Ambrose Anchorage in the Atlantic Ocean and the seaport’s container terminals.
The port said that the anchorage space that is large and deep enough to handle the largest container ships will improve the port’s safety and efficiency. It will allow large ships to move closer to the port during inspections, refuelling or inclement weather and to have an emergency refuge area in the event of a mechanical or navigational issue.
“Our collaboration with the port authority, the states of New York and New Jersey, and the U.S. Coast Guard is essential in ensuring the port remains competitive and capable of handling large container vessels that help drive our nation’s supply chain and spur economic growth,” said Michael Connor, assistant secretary of civil works of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“These projects will make it possible for our seaport to serve a region whose demand for products made overseas is steadily increasing. The levels of cargo growth we saw during the pandemic will return as the new normal, and we – along with everyone in the supply chain – must prepare now for that future,” said Bethann Rooney, director of the Port Department at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Dredging plans
The port authority’s partnership with the USACE on the Channel Deepening Program dates to 1989, when a US$2.1 billion project was launched to deepen New York Harbour’s federal navigational channels to its current depth of 50 feet (15.2 meters). Work on that initiative was completed in 2016, after which the port raised the roadway of the Bayonne Bridge to a navigational height clearance of 215 feet that allowed the largest container ships in the world at the time to sail through the Kill van Kull to access the port’s terminals in New York and New Jersey.
In December 2023, the port authority’s Board of Commissioners authorised participation in a US$20 million project engineering and design (PED) effort, split evenly between the port and USACE, to further refine the cost and schedule for the New York/New Jersey Harbor Deepening and Channel Improvement Project, which will further deepen and widen the navigational channels in the port by an additional five feet.
Before CMA CGM’s takeover of Global Container Terminals (GCT) Bayonne and New York terminals in 2023, there was no need for deeper channels. However, with CMA CGM’s deployment of larger containerships ships, the need for deeper channels has become apparent.
Read more: US East Coast ports facing multiple challenges, San Pedro Bay poised for growth
On Wednesday, the two parties signed an agreement to move the project forward to the PED phase. This phase will include inspections of the current channel, ship simulation modelling and design, and the composition of plans and specifications for the project. The construction schedule would be subject to further appropriations by Congress and authorisation by the Port Authority Board of Commissioners.
“Our final integrated report recommends deepening the pathways to Port Newark, the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal and the Port Jersey-Port Authority Marine Terminal. This strategic initiative is essential for enhancing our port’s capacity and efficiency. This comprehensive plan not only aims to improve navigation but also prioritises ecosystem restoration, reflecting our commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship,” said Col. Alex Young, New York District commander of USACE.
The port expects the seaport’s cargo volumes to double or triple by 2050, as forecasted in the seaport’s capital and operating improvements blueprint, the Port Master Plan 2050.
You just read one of our articles for free
To continue reading, subscribe to WorldCargo News
By subscribing you will have:
- Access to all regular and exclusive content
- Discount on selected events
- Full access to the entire digital archive
- 10x per year Digital Magazine