Dredging Begins at the Port of Long Beach
The Port of Long Beach has launched a $40 million project to deepen its main channel to allow easier access.
The 17-month project will deepen the main channel to 76 feet and will also allow for more mega-sized cargo-container ships and oil tankers to call at the port.
Port officials kicked off the project on June 8 with a ceremony. “The main channel deepening and related projects are a significant step forward for the Port of Long Beach and the harbor as a whole,” said Richard Steinke, the port’s executive director, in a statement. “This is a vital project that is creating jobs and will help keep the port competitive as the economy rebounds.”
The project will improve navigation, safety and efficiency. After the project is completed, the largest oil tankers headed for the BP crude oil terminal will be able to turn around in the port and approach their berths fully loaded. Now the largest ships need to transfer some of their oil to smaller vessels to reach their berths.
The dredged-up material will be used to create new land area on Pier G, where International Transportation Service Inc. will expand its on-dock rail yard.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will supervise the project, and Manson Construction Co. will dredge the channel. The project is being funded with $35 million from Long Beach, $2.6 million from the Army Corps and $2.4 million from federal economic stimulus money.
The deeper channel will give Long Beach more flexibility and allow it to attract more business, which has been down due to the economic downturn. The last two years have seen cargo-container traffic slip significantly. Last year, only 5 million 20-foot containers passed through the port, down 22 percent from 2008.—Deborah Belgum
