Charleston signs contract to advance deepening

In May, the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), who will eventually carry out the work, included funding for a feasibility study of the project in its Fiscal Year 2011 work plan.

“Charleston deepening will open the port to all classes of the world’s most modern vessels under any tidal condition,” said Jim Newsome, president & CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), adding that the project will remove the tidal restrictions associated with the larger ships.

The port’s current channel depths at low tide are 14.2 metres (47 ft) in the entrance channel and 13.6 m (45 ft) in the inner harbour. More than 360 ships currently too big for the Panama Canal have already called at Charleston, three years before the US$5bn canal expansion is completed in 2014.