The Port of New York and New Jersey is the largest on the East Coast, handling nearly 40 percent of the East Coast shipping trade, and is the third-largest port in the country, providing more than 279,000 jobs to the local economy and $12 billion in annual wages. With future cargo volumes expected to double over the next decade, the Anchorage Channel must be deepened in order to accommodate the new generation of larger cargo vessels and better position the region to benefit from growth in global trade. These new, larger next-generation “Post-Panamax” vessels also bring environmental benefits by carrying more cargo in fewer ships and cleaner fuel technology. The New York and New Jersey Harbor Deepening Project is being managed by the Port Authority and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is expected to be completed in 2014.
To accommodate the dredging, a new drinking water transmission main must be installed beneath the Upper New York Bay between Brooklyn and Staten Island in order to replace two existing siphons, currently at depths of 56 feet and 60 feet. At a depth of 100 feet, the new water siphon is not only safeguarding the water supply on Staten Island, but is also a major investment in the future of the Port of New York and New Jersey. The project is being implemented and managed by the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
Find out more about NYC’s biggest infrastructure project you haven’t heard of: the replacement of the Anchorage Channel Water Siphons.
