Deeper draft in Mississippi River means billions in revenue, 17,000 new jobs nationwide

With cargo ships getting larger and the Panama Canal getting wider, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is once again weighing the costs and benefits of a potential $300 million effort to deepen the lower Mississippi River by as much as 5 feet.

The project — which would cover the stretch from Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico — is being considered largely in light of the multibillion-dollar work underway at the canal, which is slated to wrap up next year.

When the Panama project is finished, the canal will be able to accommodate ships with drafts as deep as 50 feet below the water’s surface. That is 5 feet deeper than what’s available on the lower Mississippi.

For years, local maritime officials have argued that the extra 5 feet of depth are overdue for the sinuous, 175-mile shipping waterway. In fact, Congress authorized the river to be dredged to 55 feet in the 1980s, 10 feet deeper than it is now. Each additional foot means more cargo that ships can carry, and that means more money.

Read more: http://theadvocate.com/news/neworleans/12444862-148/ahead-of-panama-canal-expansion