Port Tampa Bay has entered the second phase of an ambitious project to deepen its shipping channel, marking a significant milestone in a decade-long effort to accommodate larger cargo vessels.

The port and the Army Corps of Engineers recently signed a design agreement for the project, which will deepen the channel from its current 43 feet to 47 feet along a 40-mile stretch between the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and downtown Tampa.

The project employs a first-of-its-kind approach, creating a new channel within the existing channel rather than expanding the current footprint. This method is expected to significantly reduce environmental impact while achieving the desired depth increase.

Construction will require dredging approximately 22 million cubic feet of hard-bottom material — enough to fill Raymond James Stadium 84 times, according to port officials. The dredged material will serve multiple purposes: beach renourishment at Fort DeSoto, Egmont Key and other islands, and the creation of 60 acres of new land at Port Tampa Bay for future berth expansion.

“We are going to make 60 additional acres of land that didn’t exist before that can be future berths and terminals to bring in more cargo,” said Patrick Blair, Port Tampa Bay’s Vice President of Engineering.

The deeper channel is designed to reduce shipping costs for goods transported to the Tampa area, including fuel and furniture. The port expects to begin construction on the first of six channel sections by 2028.

The project carries an estimated total cost of just under $1.1 billion and is expected to take more than a decade to complete.

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