Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, along with elected
officials and leaders from the Port of Los Angeles and the US Army Corps of
Engineers, marked the completion of a 10-year, $370 million project to deepen
the port’s main channel on April 3.
“Completion of this project means that the port will remain
competitive globally, and continue to be a strong source for jobs and regional
revenue growth for years to come,” Villaraigosa said.
The deepening, which was conducted by the Corps on the
port’s behalf, is being touted as a major milestone in the port’s ongoing
efforts to assure its continued competitiveness and growth, since it allows LA
to continue to accommodate bigger, more modern vessels from around the world.
“Our increased competiveness will strengthen our regional
and national economies – resulting in job creation in my district and across
the country,” Congresswoman Janice Hahn said during a ceremony held on the rear
deck of the USS Iowa floating museum to mark the event.
The project involved deepening of LA’s 45-foot deep Main
Channel, West Basin Channel and East Basin Channel to a 53-foot depth. During
the course of the decade-long effort, the Corps generated and relocated 15
million cubic yards of dredge materials to various sites throughout the port, some
of which was used to construct the 104-acre acre Cabrillo Shallow Water
Habitat, providing a replacement habitat and feeding area for fish and marine
birds in the outer harbor.
“The number of ships and the volume of goods they will
bring, the number of jobs that will result and the economic impact on the local
area and throughout the nation are important numbers,” Col. Mark Toy, commander
of the US Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, said. “But the true
worth of the project is the benefits it will provide for people. Directly or
indirectly, locally or nationwide, immediately or in the future, the work we
recognize today will benefit the lives of many people.”
