Massachusetts State Representative, William Straus, said in his latest announcement that the Baker-Polito Administration has reached an agreement with the City of New Bedford to fund the planning process for further dredging of the city’s harbor.
According to the official release, the state is granting $1.6 million for design and permitting of the continued dredging.
The proposed dredging – which includes the so-called “Phase V” of the remediation plan intended to clean up contaminants in the harbor – is expected to greatly increase the number of berths and fairways that are accessible to commercial and fishing vessels in the Port of New Bedford.
In recent years, legislators from the New Bedford delegation have raised concerns with navigational channels in the harbor with state officials.
“Since 2016, in meetings and communications with the Baker administration, I have drawn special attention to the opportunities presented by the Phase V portion of the needed harbor dredging ,” Representative William Straus said in a statement.
“ Dredging the inner harbor is a major priority if we are to continue to unlock the potential of the Port of New Bedford. There is a clear and direct connection between the work being planned and jobs along the waterfront, and I am pleased to see that Governor Baker and his administration are making this investment. I will continue to work with him and the Lieutenant Governor to implement the design and permitting in a way that gets the actual dredging on schedule.”
Once completed, the dredging project is expected to create nearly 900 new jobs and $260 million in new business revenue.