Officials at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have confirmed that their port will be able to handle 14,000 TEU vessels toward the end of 2017.
The planned completion of the 50-foot Harbor Deepening Project later this summer and the anticipated completion of the navigational clearance project at the Bayonne Bridge late next year were cited as proof that the port will find itself prepared to handle new, larger classes of cargo ships within its previously stated time frame.
Molly Campbell, Director of Port Commerce for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey , said: “ Given that the Harbor Deepening project was first designed in 1997 when the maximum vessel size anticipated was quite different than it is today, the Reevaluation Study is customary practice to validate that the new harbor configuration is appropriate for today’s current and anticipated vessel activity.”
Campbell went on to note that the Reevaluation Study will take a couple of years to complete and will not impact current operational plans, but rather inform future investment needs at the port.
Officials also said that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and its marine terminal operators have invested billions of dollars in infrastructure and equipment over the past decade to maintain the Port of New York and New Jersey as the premier US East Coast gateway for trade.
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