CHARLESTON HARBOR PROJECT SIGNS PED AGREEMENT; RECEIVES 2016 FUNDING

On December 18 the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Charleston District signed the Preconstruction Engineering and Design (PED) Agreement which marked the official beginning of the project’s PED phase the final step before construction. Activities in the PED phase will include ship simulation studies refinement of the cost estimates coastal monitoring and analysis of beneficial use of dredged material. Some PED work is already underway with funds appropriated in July 2015 and should be mostly complete by the end of next year the port said.

The project also received a boost from Congress’ passage of the Omnibus bill which provided funding for construction on the harbor deepening project as well as O&M funding. The Charleston District said the project is expected to move forward without delay.