Larger tankers and bulkers may eventually manoeuvre better in the lower portion of the US Mississippi River if a dredging plan from the Army Corps of Engineers comes to fruition.
The corps opened up a period of public comments through 17 January prior to submitting a formal plan for dredging portions of the Mississippi River Ship Channel from the current 45 feet (13.7 metres) depth to a 50 feet (15.2 metres) depth.
The dredging would be the third and final portion of a dredging plan first approved in 1985.
The project is "driven by the need to safely pass Post Panamax deep draught ships," the corps said in its report on the new dredging.
The corps says the current depths of the Mississippi River only allow ships to be partially loaded or require that ships be lightered in order to transit.
The region is home to three of the top 10 busiest ports in the US. The Port of South Louisiana is the largest port in the US in terms of total tonnage, at 267.4 million deadweight tonnes (DWT), according to the US Department of Transportation.
New Orleans and Baton Rouge ports are the seventh and eighth largest at 84.5 million and 69.2 million DWT, respectively.
Tankers make up the largest portion of ships visiting the lower Mississippi ports at 46% of total tonnage. Bulkers represent 33% of total tonnage.
The $89m project would take four years to complete. The channel will actually be dredged to 54 feet (16.5 metres) to allow more future sediment and maintenance.
