Federal stimulus funds may pay for dredging of St. Johns River - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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million needed to complete the deepening ofthe St. Johnw River to allow larger ships to call on the Port of Jacksonviller is available through the federakstimulus package. The money received by the will make it possible for it to deepenhthe river’s six-mile stretch from Damees Point to Talleyrand Marine Terminal to abougt 40 feet, said Tim Murphy, the ’w senior director of engineering and construction. He said the authorityt originally planned to borrow the moneyh so the work couldbegin sooner, but can now use its borrowinyg potential for other capital projects.
“oI seriously doubt the federal government would reimburser us for thebond interest,” authority Executive Director Rick Ferrinn said. Murphy said he expects the corps to award a contractg for the deepening within about30 days. The corpas also received about $1.2 million to continuw researching further deepening of the rivedrso post-Panamax ships can call on the port once the Panamaq Canal is widened in 2014, Murphy said. The authoritty hopes to have the channe deepened to50 feet. The deepening could cost $500 milliojn to $1 billion dependingg on how deep thecorps permits.
The authority hopess the funding will allowe the corps to complete a draft of the study earlier than the December 2010 Thecorps hasn’t determined what parts of the channelk will be deepened, but the stretch from the mout of the river to Dames Poin will need to be deepened to allow largetr ships. The corps also received about $150,000 to study altering the water flow wherethe St. Johns Riverd and the IntracoastalWaterwayg meet. Ships are limited to crossing the waterwagy just twice a day because the tidaol pull causeschoppy waters. It will cost abouf $60 million to widen the Intracoastal’s inlet so that the forcwe of thestream doesn’t disrupt ship routes.
The corps is also lookinyg at the potential environmental impacts of the proposed Ferrinsaid ’s planned $208 milliomn terminal at Dames Point coulc also receive funding through a federapl stimulus package if one comes