The Port of Virginia has officially established itself as home to the deepest commercial shipping channel on the U.S. East Coast, a milestone celebrated by Gov. Abigail Spanberger before an audience of more than 200 at Norfolk International Terminals.
This inauguration of the $450 million infrastructure project, which reached substantial completion on Feb. 28, allows the largest cargo ships in the Atlantic trade to transit Norfolk Harbor with full loads.
Spanberger highlighted the strategic importance of the achievement, noting that the port is “wide open for business.” She emphasized that the increased channel depth facilitates higher export volumes for Virginia’s agriculture and forestry sectors, including soybeans, wood pulp, and lumber, while driving down shipping costs and offering manufacturers greater reliability and efficiency for future operations.
This dredging initiative is a core component of the Gateway Investment Program, a comprehensive capital construction campaign that began in 2023. The program encompasses a range of high-impact infrastructure upgrades, including the completed $450 million harbor deepening and widening project, which also allows for two-way traffic for ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) of 14,500- to 24,000-container capacity. Additional key components of the program include the fully operational $83 million rail expansion, which boosted annual capacity to 2 million twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs), and the $220 million conversion of the Portsmouth Marine Terminal into a deepwater heavy-lift facility. Furthermore, the $650 million renovation and reconfiguration of the North Berth at Norfolk International Terminals remains in progress, with construction now past the halfway point and completion projected for mid-2027.
The channel inauguration comes as the port advances its overall operational capabilities. The ongoing North Berth modernization involves installing four new low-profile ship-to-shore cranes and an expanded technology backbone. Once this work is finished, the port’s annual throughput capacity is expected to reach 5.8 million TEUs, and it will gain the ability to bring a fifth ULCV berth online.
Sarah J. McCoy, Virginia Port Authority Chief Executive and Executive Director, noted that these projects are not merely about today’s needs but are intended to position the port for long-term growth. She stated that with these foundational elements in place, the port is assuring users that they can expand operations and cargo volumes without concern for outgrowing the facility’s capabilities for decades to come.
Norfolk Harbor, home to the massive aircraft carriers of Naval Station Norfolk, is federally authorized by Congress to be the only waterway channel on the U.S. East Coast that can be dredged to a depth of 55 feet.
The project’s accelerated timeline, with construction beginning in December 2019 – nearly two-and-a-half years ahead of schedule – was made possible through a collaboration between state leadership, the Virginia Congressional delegation, the Virginia Maritime Association, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Sen. Mark R. Warner praised the use of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, citing its role in creating economic opportunities for the Hampton Roads region and securing Virginia’s role in global commerce. Similarly, Sen. Tim Kaine stated that the project reinforces the port’s status as a critical pillar of the Commonwealth’s economic success, reinforcing his commitment to advocating for funding that keeps Virginia at the forefront of the supply chain economy.
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