Governor Spanberger Celebrates Completion of $450 Million Norfolk Harbor Dredging Project

NORFOLK, VA - Governor Abigail Spanberger today celebrated the completion of the $450 million Norfolk Harbor dredging project at The Port of Virginia - making the commercial shipping channel serving the modern port complex the deepest on the U.S. East Coast.

During remarks at the ribbon cutting, Governor Spanberger thanked federal, state, and local leaders for their shared commitment to finishing the project on time and on budget and highlighted the major economic boost the deeper channel will offer to Hampton Roads, Virginia's agriculture industry, and businesses and communities across the Commonwealth.

"Today, we are sending a clear message to the entire world: The Port of Virginia is wide open for business," said Governor Abigail Spanberger. "The Port is now home to the deepest commercial shipping channel on the entire East Coast of the United States. Because of this investment, the largest cargo ships in the Atlantic trade - and the next generation coming behind them - can now safely transit Norfolk Harbor with a full load."

Governor Spanberger continued, "This project allows ocean carriers to load more Virginia agricultural and forestry exports than ever before while keeping shipping costs down and our farmers competitive on the global stage. And when manufacturers decide to invest in the Commonwealth, they will have the peace of mind knowing that their goods can be moved reliably and efficiently. Thank you to The Port of Virginia, the International Longshoremen's Association, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the City of Norfolk, and the men and women who power the Port for your tireless efforts to reach this day. This is a landmark achievement that all Virginians can celebrate."

Governor Spanberger was joined at the ribbon cutting by Secretary of Transportation Nick Donohue, Congressman Bobby Scott, Norfolk Mayor Dr. Kenny Alexander, CEO and Executive Director of The Port of Virginia Sarah McCoy, Col. Jesse Curry of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and state and local leaders.

"By continuing to champion an efficient, growing, and modern port, we aren't just moving cargo, we are moving Virginia forward into a prosperous, highly connected future," said Secretary of Transportation Nick Donohue. "This is a tremendous step forward for Hampton Roads and our entire Commonwealth."

The Norfolk Harbor dredging project adds an additional 5 feet of depth to the channel, bringing total depth to 55 feet and making it the deepest commercial shipping channel on the U.S. East Coast. The channel will now allow safe, seamless, two-way traffic for super-sized container ships across the Atlantic shipping fleet.

The project is a key part of The Port of Virginia's $1.4 billion Gateway Investment Program to make the Port the most modern, efficient gateway on the U.S. East Coast. The program's projects include:

• $450 million: Deepening the channel and harbor and widening it to ensure safe, two-way ultra-large container vessels passage
• $83 million: Expanding the port's annual rail capacity to 2 million TEUs
• $220 million: Converting Portsmouth Marine Terminal, a legacy container terminal, into a deep-water heavy-lift facility
• $650 million: Renovating and reconfiguring the North Berth at Norfolk International Terminals (NIT)

The Port of Virginia generates an annual economic impact of $124.1 billion, supporting more than 565,000 full- and part-time jobs across the Commonwealth.

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