Americas News
Deepening Charleston to Accommodate Triple E's "Worth the Cost"
Deepening the Charleston harbour in the southeastern U.S. to accommodate Triple E vessels would cost $300 to $350 million but could generate significant economic activity, South Carolina newspaper the Morning News argues.
Charleston was designated as one of five nationally significant harbour projects, and local officials are hoping that the federal government will pay 40 percent of the construction costs, although the newspaper says that is "far from a guarantee."
Overall, almost 20 eastern U.S. harbours are looking into dredging to allow larger containerships to dock once the widening of the Panama Canal is completed in 2015.
"Not all the ports will be able to afford it but ships are only going to get larger, and waiting for the tide or transferring cargoes to smaller vessels are not options in today's shipping business," the Morning News wrote
"Get deeper or drown seems to be the message."
Currently, the only ports along the coast able to accommodate the largest ships are New York, Baltimore, Maryland, and Norfolk, Virginia, although a fourth port in Miami, Florida is set to join the group.
Charleston is competing with nearby Savannah, Georgia to finish its project.
South Carolina ports authority head Jim Newsome said last year that the harbour, which is 45 feet deep now and will be dredged to 50 feet, allows ships to move in and out of port more smoothly than at many harbours.
