Construction of a 55' deep shipping channel and harbor at Norfolk Harbor was completed Feb. 28, concluding a major dredging project that will allow the Port of Virginia to accommodate the largest container vessels in the Atlantic trade. With the project complete, the Port of Virginia now has the deepest commercial shipping channel on the U.S. East Coast.
The dredging focused on the Thimble Shoal Channel and was part of the Virginia Port Authority’s $1.4 billion Gateway Investment Program. A post-dredge survey to confirm channel depth and width, along with additional maintenance work, is underway, and nautical charts will be updated once surveys are complete. Final project work is expected to wrap up in late spring.
The project also included widening sections of the channel to allow two-way traffic for ultra-large container vessels. Channel widening work was completed in February 2024.
According to the Virginia Port Authority, the dredging project is one of several infrastructure investments included in the Gateway Investment Program, which began in 2023. Other projects include expanding rail capacity to 2 million TEUs annually, converting Portsmouth Marine Terminal into a deep-water heavy-lift facility, and renovating and reconfiguring the North Berth at Norfolk International Terminals, which is scheduled for completion in mid-2027.
The port also recently brought a fourth ultra-large container vessel berth into service at the South Berth of Norfolk International Terminals after deepening the berths and installing four new Suez-class cranes. The port now has two ULCV berths at both Norfolk International Terminals South and Virginia International Gateway. A fifth ULCV berth is under development at the North Berth and is expected to be operational in 2027. Once completed, the port will have capacity to handle approximately 5.8 million TEUs annually.
The dredging project was completed in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, with support from state and federal officials, the U.S. Navy, the Virginia Maritime Association, and commercial shipping and ship repair stakeholders operating in Norfolk Harbor.
WorkBoat reached out to the port for specifics on which contractors and vessels were involved in the project.
