The third phase of the St. Johns River harbor deepening project in Jacksonville Harbor (Florida) is now complete, ahead of schedule. Contractors for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District have deepened 5.3 miles of the river from mile 14.7 to mile 20, from a depth of 38 feet to 40 feet. This brings the entire length of the harbor to a uniform depth of 40 feet.
Completion of this portion of the project will help JAXPORT remain competitive, specifically to accommodate the water depth requirements of fully-loaded cargo vessels that currently use Jacksonville's port, and to meet the needs of new, even larger cargo ships.
The nearly $50 million project, funded primarily by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also expanded the harbor's Chaseville widener from 100 feet to 200 feet for the benefit and safety of harbor pilots and anyone who travels through the harbor.
Jacksonville District is currently assessing the possibility of further deepening of the harbor.
Nearly 65,000 jobs in the North Florida region rely on the local maritime community, which has an economic impact of $19 billion annually.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District is part of a federal agency that specializes in the planning, engineering, construction and management of projects in Florida and the Antilles. The Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) is an international trade seaport in Northeast Florida.
