On Thursday November 15, Congress enacted legislation that will authorize $356.1 million in Federal funds for the Craney Island Eastward Expansion.  The authorization is part of the $21 billion Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), a law that provides authorization for water resources projects, such as shoreline and aquatic ecosystem restoration. Apart from the eastward expansion of Craney Island, the bill contains hundreds of projects including efforts to restore the hurricane damaged Louisiana coastline and the Florida Everglades.  With this authorization, the Federal government will share 50% of the cost in developing the dikes for the eastward expansion project.

Water Resources Development Act (WRDA)

As a sign of support to the Craney Island Eastward Expansion project, Congressional negotiators approved $356.1 million in Federal funds to expand the Craney Island site to accommodate the construction of a state of the art marine terminal.

The authorization is part of the $21 billion Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), a law that provides authorization and funding for marine-related projects, such as shoreline and aquatic ecosystem restoration. Apart from the eastward expansion of Craney Island, the bill will fund projects to restore the hurricane damaged Louisiana coastline and the Florida Everglades.

Originally, the Craney Island Eastward Expansion Feasibility Report recommended a 4% Federal cost share for the project, which amounted to around $31.2 million in Federal funds. This recommendation was based solely on the dredging benefits resulting from the expansion, which was only 1 percent of the overall Federal benefits related to the project.

However, over 99 percent of the benefits incurred through the expansion of Craney Island and the construction of a marine terminal are transportation related, as more goods will move through the Port of Virginia.

The eastward expansion of CIDMMA, combined with the development of the marine terminal will generate $6 billion in National Economic Development (NED) benefits.

In the current version of WRDA, the Federal government will share 50% of the cost in developing the dikes for the eastward expansion project. This level of Federal cost share is indicative of a clear recognition within Congress of the enormous benefits gained from the project at the National level.

The Craney Island Eastward Expansion is positioned as a vital project that will represent significant economic benefits for the Nation and the region. Regional benefits will be derived from three primary sources marine terminal design and construction, terminal related transportation operations, and distribution center operations. Over $5 billion in state and regional economic activity will be seen annually, with 54,000 jobs emerging from port related activity.
The Water Resources Development Act has a few more steps before it is finally approved. At press time, both houses of Congress were expected to vote on the measure, by the end of the week and offer it to the President for signature into law.

The significance of the Craney Island Eastward Expansion goes beyond Hampton Roads and the region. Senator John Warner, who has been a champion of the Eastward Expansion notes, “The importance of Craney Island’s expansion to Hampton Roads cannot be overstated”.

-July 30, 2007

Craney Island Blue Ribbon Review Panel

On June 13-14 of this year, a renowned panel of geotechnical and civil engineering experts convened in Norfolk, VA to discuss technical aspects associated with the design and construction of the Craney Island Eastward Expansion and Craney Island Marine Terminal (CIMT). Meeting with representatives from The Virginia Port Authority and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the diverse panel of participants included Dr. Masaki Kitazume from the Port and Airport Research Institute of Japan, Dr. J. Michael Duncan, Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech, and Dr. James K. Mitchell, Virginia Tech distinguished professor emeritus, in the same department.

The group was charged with examining the direction of future work on the expansion project, from a geotechnical perspective. Over the course of two days, the panel and invited guests toured the existing Craney Island Dredged Material Management Area (CDMMA) and discussed a number of topics, including dike and ground improvement, alternatives and recommendations for future investigations.

The group drew consensus on a number of items and suggested next steps towards the construction of this multi-faceted and complex project. Over the next 18 months the panel will reconvene throughout each phase of design for the expansion and port development to provide geotechnical expertise.