Federal, state and local leaders yesterday joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and JAXPORT leadership along the St. Johns River in downtown Jacksonville to mark the start of the Pre-Construction, Engineering and Design (PED) phase of the Jacksonville Harbor Deepening Project.
The initial engineering and design work is expected to take 18 months. Deepening construction could begin as early as 2016.
“During the course of the next year and a half, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will design a project with both the economics and the environment as dual priorities, ” said JAXPORT Board of Directors Chairman Joe York . “Our attention as a region must turn to ensuring that this project is funded stays on track so we can return every bit of benefit back to our citizens as soon as possible.”
On June 10, President Obama signed bipartisan legislation authorizing the Jacksonville Harbor Deepening Project, saying this project and others like it will strengthen the national infrastructure and put more Americans to work.
“ This is a historic day, ” said Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown . “ The harbor deepening project will modernize and expand our port to strengthen our competitive position in the global economy. As chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Task Force on Ports and Exports, I know that international trade and ports will play an ever-larger role in the American economy .”
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Press Release, June 18, 2014