Leadership from the Ports of Longview and Kalama, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have agreed to fund an estimated $2.1 million study.
The study will investigate what changes or improvements engineers can make to turning basins in the Columbia River to help larger, deeper-drafting vessels, safely navigate when turning.
Currently, there are very few places on the lower Columbia River to turn large, fully loaded ships. These vessels need to be turned around before passing through Longview, Washington when Pacific Northwest storms force Columbia River Bar closures for unsafe conditions.
“It’s critical for us to ensure the Columbia River Federal Navigation Channel is reliable and safe,” said Col. Michael Helton, Portland District commander.
“An additional turning basin and improvements to another in the system will provide additional safety in the lower river if the bar conditions require a vessel to change its course,” he said.
The primary benefit of improvements to the turning basins at the Ports of Kalama and Longview would be a decrease in transportation delay costs.
“Our region’s economy relies on the safe and efficient navigation of the Columbia River,” said Dan Stahl, Port of Longview chief executive officer.
“Public investments in river infrastructure, such as the turning basins, ensure the Port of Longview can continue to safely move commerce to and from international markets while driving the local economy for decades to come.”
Cargo volumes have increased 17.4%, and larger, deeper-drafting vessels are making increased usage of the river system.