Ander Crenshaw: Army Corps of Engineers Will Help Ready JaxPort for Panama Canal Expansion

U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., announced on Wednesday that the Army Corps of Engineers will spend $2.25 million to expand Jacksonvilles harbor and that President Barack Obamas budget calls for more than $3 million for the project in 2015. The funds will help deepen JaxPorts harbor as the First Coast prepares for larger vessels which will be hitting the Atlantic after the Panama Canal expansion.

JaxPort and the Northeast Florida regional economy got a boost today with the news that Army Corps of Engineers has allocated $2.25 million in its 2014 work plan for the Preconstruction, Engineering and Design (PED) phase of the JaxPort harbor deepening, Crenshaw said on Wednesday. And, looking ahead to 2015, the presidents budget contains a $3.15 million request in Army Corps funds to continue the PED.

Deepening the St. Johns River means more jobs, more trade, and more economic growth for the region; thats why my support for this project remains strong and steady, Crenshaw added. If we do not act quickly, JaxPort will fall behind competitors on the East Coast, and the economic engine that has driven this community for the past decade will be put in danger.