The federal funding will help pay for the deepening of the outer harbor channel to allow the Conley Container Terminal to accommodate vessels up to 12,000 TEUs.
The Massachusetts Port Authority announced last week that it has secured $35 million to fund the ongoing Boston Harbor Dredging Project.
The project, which is 30% complete, is a partnership between Massport, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Maintenance dredging of the inner harbor was completed in December 2017, and the deepening of the main channels began last July. The newly secured funding will enable the project to deepen the outer harbor channel to 51 feet, the main shipping channel to 47 feet and the reserve channel, where the Paul W. Conley Container Terminal is located, to 47 feet, allowing the terminal to accommodate up to 12,000-TEU vessels.
Senator Edward Markey said in a press release, “Investing in the Port of Boston ensures our local industries, manufacturers and workers are competitive in an increasingly globalized economy. This strong federal investment in this dredging project will help further upgrade the harbor in order to accommodate more and larger ships, to bring in more jobs, more investment and more economic prosperity.”
The multi-phase project is aimed at supporting the continued growth at the Conley Container Terminal, which has achieved four consecutive record-breaking years for volume – generating $4.6 billion in economic activity and servicing exports and imports for 1,600 businesses across New England.
Massport has made improving Conley a top priority. An additional $500 million of planned landside infrastructure projects are also underway at the terminal, including the construction of two 50-foot berths, new in- and out-gate facilities, and expanded refrigerated storage. Massport has also ordered three new ship-to-shore cranes that will be delivered in late 2020. These infrastructure projects will enable Conley to more efficiently and effectively handle the large vessels calling the Port of Boston.
“Investments we make today into the Port of Boston and the Conley Container Terminal are essential for New England to remain an important player in the global economy for years to come,” said Massport’s Acting CEO, John Pranckevicius.
Sources:
- Senator Ed Markey, www.markey.senate.gov
- American Shipper, Massport secures $35 million for Boston Harbor dredging
