A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers draft report shows it could cost $733 million to dredge Jacksonville's port to 47 feet, and the Jacksonville Port Authority would be responsible for paying $383.5 million.
Interim JaxPort CEO Roy Schleicher said Thursday he is requesting help to cover the costs.
"We are already talking to the state and local governments about funding options," said Schleicher.
JaxPort wants to dredge the St. Johns River channel from the current 40-foot depth to compete for more business from increasingly larger ships.
The cost to dredge to 45 feet would be split between the federal government, which would pay 65 percent, and JaxPort, which would pay 35 percent.
A depth of 47 feet requires the port to pay 100 percent of the cost over 45 feet because the Corps identified that depth as the best cost-to-benefit ratio.
The Corps will release a draft report of its Jacksonville Harbor Navigation Study today and start the public comment period for the project. A summary was released on Thursday.
A public meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. June 27 at the JaxPort Cruise Terminal at the Dames Point Marine Terminal.
The draft study will be discussed and there will be opportunity for public comment.
The full draft report, to be released today, will detail how the Corps reached its conclusion that the best benefit-to-cost ratio would be produced by dredging to 45 feet to accommodate larger ships that already are calling on the Jacksonville port.
JaxPort requested a depth of 47 feet to compete with the port in Savannah, Ga., which is working toward that depth.
The port is preparing for the completion of the expansion of the Panama Canal in 2015 and the larger post-Panamax ships that will come through it. Although the port already is serving post-Panamax ships, they cannot dock at local ports fully loaded because of the channel depth.
Schleicher said the June 20 arrival of Hanjin Shipping vessels at JaxPort will give the port 15 of the 17 carriers that service the East Coast calling on Jacksonville ports.
He said he doesn't want to see that progress slow down.
"When you've got that type of momentum going, the last thing you want to do is stall it," Schleicher said.
If the project passes multiple levels of review, the Corps estimates that it could be in the hands of Congress for consideration after the Chief of Engineers Report is signed April 30.
If federal funds are appropriated, the project will be subject to design, water-quality permitting, advertising and awarding of the project, construction and completion, which is estimated to take about 10 years.
Funding has to be in place before the project can start.
JaxPort also is working on including the project as part of the 2013 Water Resource Development Act that was passed by the U.S. Senate and awaits action by the House of Representatives.
The act is "the vehicle" used to fund projects like the harbor deepening, said Jason Harrah, harbor deepening project manager for the Corps.
Some of the more expensive items in the project are $528 million for dredging and disposal of dredge materials, $95 million for port improvements and $80 million for mitigation.
Regarding mitigation, the Corps plans to set aside $32 million to monitor the river if the project receives federal approval.
The Corps also is studying shoreline erosion, an issue brought up in public meetings by property owners along the channel.
Property owners asked if the Corps could use the dredge material to stabilize the shoreline.
"That's something we are looking into," Harrah said.
The report can be seen at saj.usace.army.mil.
Public comments can be submitted to Paul Stodola at (904) 232-3271 or [email protected].
The public can receive updates and comment on the Jacksonville Harbor Deepening Study through the Corps' bi-monthly conference calls.
The calls are set for 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. the first Monday of every other month, with the next several being June 3, Aug. 6, Oct. 1 and Dec. 3.
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