Deeper harbor in Oakland is good news for U.S. exporters

Patrick Burnson, Executive Editor -- Logistics Management, 12/31/2007

OAKLAND, Calif.—Following significant congressional support, the President signed an omnibus appropriations bill last week that included approximately $41.3 million for the Port of Oakland’s Harbor Deepening Project (-50 Foot Project). This should be good news for U.S. exporters, said port spokesmen.
“Oakland is a premier export gateway for the agricultural sector,” said Port of Oakland Spokesperson Marilyn Sandifur, in an interview with LM. “They rely on the timely export of perishables to Asia, and a deeper harbor will give them access to larger outbound vessels.”
The bill provides a little over $8.2 million for annual dredging operations and maintenance. The total funding, nearly $50 million ($49.5 million), goes to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is the federal agency responsible for the construction of the project.
“Deepening the Oakland harbor will provide a safer and more navigable waterway in and out of the port for high-cargo-volume vessels, and that will mean saving time for the ocean carriers,” added Sandifur.
She also noted that saving time shipping product and materials is important for manufacturers in Asia and importers who are interested in getting their products quickly into the US West Coast and interior US markets.
“A direct service, for example, linking Shanghai to Oakland would be beneficial to both importers and exporters,” said Sandifur. “The deeper harbor along with plans for constructing additional rail intermodal facilities at the port will support and accommodate an increase of import intermodal cargo on the U.S. West Coast, which is anticipated over the next several years,”
Project components have included the widening and deepening of the Harbor Entrance, Outer and Inner Harbor channels, and two turning basins to -50 feet Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) as well as local business and utility relocations. Existing project depths are -46 feet MLLW (after dredging to interim depths). Related local service facilities, paid entirely by the port, include berth deepening and wharf strengthening.
The project was authorized under the 1999 Federal Water Resources Development Act, with the federal government and the port sharing approximately half the cost.