Gusts of wind offered short-lived relief from the humid air settling on the port terminal Thursday morning. A crowd gazed at the harbor as a cargo ship passed by packed with red and bright pink shipping containers. From a distance, it resembled a floating island.
Cargo ships like this one are only getting bigger, wider and heavier. Ultra-large vessels can carry between 10,000 and 16,000 containers — also called ‘twenty-foot equivalent units.”
“That was a 12,000 TEU vessel,” Sarah McCoy, CEO of the Port of Virginia, told WHRO. “They didn't have to worry about tide to come in. They could come in exactly when they were ready to come in.”
The Port of Virginia finished a $450 million project that increased the depth of the Thimble Shoal Channel, which connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Chesapeake Bay and Norfolk Harbor, from 50 feet to 55 feet. The five foot difference means huge shipping vessels will have enough clearance to come in and out of the port without having to worry about water levels.
Costs for the dredging project were split between the state and federal government. Construction on the channel wrapped up in February on time and on budget. More than 200 people, including state and local leaders, gathered Thursday to celebrate.
“The largest cargo ships in the Atlantic trade, and the next generation coming behind them, they can now safely transit this harbor with a full load,” said Gov. Abigail Spanberger during the event. “And because we widened the channel, they can do it two at a time.”
When ships had to wait their turn for passage, delays cost businesses money.
The port is a huge driver of Virginia’s economy, generating nearly 570,000 jobs and billions of dollars in wages and revenue every year, according to the Southern Economic Development Council. But the port will need to keep up with growing trade volumes, changing supply chains and increased demand on infrastructure, said Col. Jesse Curry with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“The question wasn't whether Norfolk Harbor would need to adapt,” he said “The question was whether we would act with enough urgency to stay ahead.
The Gateway Investment Program is putting $1.4 billion towards improving the port’s infrastructure by modernizing terminals, expanding rail capacity and using wind energy for power. Bill Kirk with the Virginia Port Authority Board of Commissioners called the harbor deepening project the “crown jewel” of the billion-dollar effort.
Spanberger said the deeper channel gives businesses something rare in today’s world: certainty.
“When manufacturers are deciding where to relocate, where to expand, where to plant their flag, they need the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their goods can be moved reliably and efficiently,” she said. “And that is not a small thing in 2026.”
