Feds OK Port Everglades deepening project

Port Everglades has received federal authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move forward with a project to deepen and widen the port's navigation channels.

The project, which is in the pre-construction engineering and design phase, may now proceed through the permitting and federal funding processes, port officials said in a press release.

The project calls for deepening the main navigational channels from 42 to 48 feet. Crews also will deepen and widen the Entrance Channel and parts of the Intracoastal Waterway so cargo ships can safely pass docked cruise ships.

"This much-needed expansion will pay huge dividends for South Florida in the form of high-paying jobs and economic growth," said U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla). "Federal investments like this, together with a thriving and involved business community, will help us compete and win not just against other cities in the United States, but also internationally."

To complete the project, the port is receiving more than $335 million through the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law Dec. 16.