What is the status of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal deepening project?
The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (C&D) is a 16-mile northern access route that provides a critical shortcut for ocean vessels. This canal provides a water route for goods to travel between the Port of Baltimore and northern destinations. At issue is its depth – which at 35 feet is five feet less than the standard depth of most U.S. ports and too shallow to accommodate a growing number of commercial ships. While the Port of Baltimore community believes that deepening the C&D Canal is in the best economic interests of Maryland, the state cannot receive federal aid for this project unless an analysis by the Army Corps of Engineers shows a national benefit. In 2002, believing it unlikely that the Corps’ economic analysis would support federal interest, the Maryland Port Administration asked the Corps to reclassify the C&D project to the deferred category. As trade conditions improve and cargo at the Port grows, the C&D project may be taken out of deferred status and the economic feasibili
