Army Corps of Engineers allocates $274.3 million to complete Port of Mobile project

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) today announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has allocated $274,300,000 for the Port of Mobile in its Fiscal Year 2020 (FY2020) Work Plan, officially providing the resources to dredge Alabama’s premier port.  The funding – which accounts for the full federal share of the project cost – will initiate and complete construction of the deepening and widening of the navigation channel.  Following the required preliminary steps, construction is expected to begin toward the end of the year.

“Today marks a historic moment and victory for Mobile and the entire state of Alabama.  Over the last decade, I have been advocating for the deepening and widening of the Port of Mobile,” said Senator Shelby.  “The completion of this transformative project is expected to stem immeasurable economic growth and will position Alabama and the Gulf Coast region for success for generations to come.  I am grateful to the Army Corps of Engineers for allocating the full federal share of the project cost and to the state of Alabama for providing the required matching funds.  I look forward to its completion and the resulting impact.”
In December 2019, the FY2020 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill was signed into law as part of H.R.1865 and included a new regional dredge demonstration program for the central Gulf Coast.  The program, administered by the Corps, was created to explore innovative ways of executing dredging in a logical and sequenced manner to seek efficiencies and cost savings and minimize disruptions to critical construction and maintenance dredging requirements across the nation.  Today the Corps officially released its FY2020 Work Plan, announcing funding for the Port of Mobile and other qualifying projects.
The construction will include the expansion of the Port of Mobile from its current dimensions – 45 feet deep and 400 feet wide – by deepening the existing Bar, Bay, and River Channels by five feet to a project depth of 50 feet.  This will include additional depths for wave allowances, advanced maintenance, and allowable overdepth for dredging.  Following construction, the total depths of the Bar, Bay, and River Channels will be 56, 54, and 54 feet respectively.  The project also includes widening the Bay Channel by 100 feet for three nautical miles.