By Mark Edward Nero
Maintenance dredging of the Port of Redwood City’s shipping channel has been completed, thus restoring the channel to its authorized depth of minus-30 feet for the first time in almost two years, the port said in late December.
Maintaining the full depth allows ocean carriers to bring in fuller and more economic loads of cargo needed for construction in the San Francisco Bay/Silicon Valley area, while also facilitating the recycling of scrap metal by exporting to Asia.
The bigger Panamax ships serving the Port of Redwood City and the construction of roads and buildings in the region, require a dependably dredged channel to assure efficient operation.
Dredging, which was performed under the auspices of the US Army Corps of Engineers, was complete in mid-December.
Maintaining and improving America’s marine navigation network is the responsibility of the Army Corps of Engineers, utilizing funds generated by the Harbor Maintenance Tax paid by importers.
Each year the Corps of Engineers and US Congress determine how to allocate these limited funds among the hundreds of navigation projects nationwide.
The port says that in 2016, US Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco) were instrumental in helping secure $7.9 million in funding for the just completed channel dredging.
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
