John Mica: Army Corps of Engineers Will Take on Jax Ports Problem

The St. Johns River has always been a two-edged sword when it comes to Jacksonvilles maritime ambitions. One of the big political issues in Florida during the 19th century was clearing the massive sandbar in the river that made Fernandina Beach the chief port in the Northeastern part of the state for most of that period and led Whigs and Republicans to demand government money to clear the river in the name of internal improvements.

From his perch as the Republican leader on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, U.S. Rep. John Mica announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will examine the Mile Point cross currents that impact the St. Johns. The currents, which come in where the river meets the intracoastal waterway, limit access to large container ships -- essentially slamming the door on those larger vessels two out of three times.

These unsafe waterway currents represent the biggest obstacle to safety and future port development at Jacksonville, and hopefully this action by the corps will help resolve the problem, said Mica.

Mica added that the corps is looking to partially remove a training wall to help eliminate the currents.

Eliminating the Mile Point cross currents is critical to ensuring full access and utilization of Jacksonville Harbor, added Mica. If this proposal proves feasible, the Corps will be able to address these access and safety problems, and improve the competitiveness of the Port of Jacksonville, at a dramatically lower cost compared to previous proposals.

With the increasing size of shipping vessels and pending improvements to the Panama Canal, improving harbor access will position Jacksonville and Florida to play a more prominent role in modern maritime trade, added Mica. I look forward to the results of the first phase of this project, and hope that we can proceed in improving harbor access in a cost effective manner.

Mica forwarded the Corps estimate that the project would cost around $3 million and be completed in 2011 or 2012, before the Panama Canal expansion.