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Last week, the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed a project partnership agreement for the Craney Island eastward expansion project. The pact solidifies their federal/state partnership and establishes a cost-sharing agreement between the two parties, VPA officials said in a prepared statement.
 
The project is designed to extend the life of Craney Island as a dredged material management area and provide land for a new marine terminal. The eastward expansion of the dredged material management area currently is under construction.

The Port of Virginia needs expanded cargo capacity in the future to accommodate growing volumes, VPA officials said. The proposed 522-acre Craney Island Marine Terminal would feature an 8,400-foot-long berth, 15 container cranes, and non-terminal rail access to CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway lines. The facility is designed to handle 5 million 20-foot equivalent units annually.

Both the eastward expansion and terminal projects will have significant impacts on the local, regional and national economy, with $5 billion in cumulative economic impacts to Virginia annually, said VPA Executive Director Jerry Bridges.