Steep Cost to Deepen JaxPort Channel

   Looks like the cost to dig a 47 foot ship channel to Jacksonville's port will be a stunning $733 million. The channel currently is 40 feet deep, but to compete with other Southeastern ports for the new jumbo sized cargo container ships the channel needs to be 47 feet deep. The federal government would fund 65% of the cost to deepen the channel to 45 feet, but JaxPort would have to pay the full cost of going the extra two feet to get to a depth of 47 feet. That's $188.7 million to JaxPort to get to 45 feet and an additional $194.8 million to dig the extra two feet. The environmental impact also has to be considered. JaxPort officials insist it has to be done if Jacksonville is to remain competitive with other ports in the Southeast market.