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Delaware dredging gets $35M in Obama budget

President Obama's proposed budget for fiscal year 2015 that begins Oct. 1 includes $35 million for continued deepening the Delaware River navigation channel, three U.S. senators said Tuesday.

The cutting blade of the dredge is lifted for maintenance of the motor system under deck of the Norfolk Dredging Co. ship on the Delaware River, 1.5 miles East of Delaware City, Del., Mar 18, 2010. (David M Warren / Staff Photographer)
The cutting blade of the dredge is lifted for maintenance of the motor system under deck of the Norfolk Dredging Co. ship on the Delaware River, 1.5 miles East of Delaware City, Del., Mar 18, 2010. (David M Warren / Staff Photographer)Read more
    Inquirer
    Published 

President Obama's proposed budget for fiscal year 2015 that begins Oct. 1 includes $35 million for continued deepening the Delaware River navigation channel, three U.S. senators said Tuesday.

Deepening the channel from 40 feet to 45 feet would put ports between Philadelphia, Camden and the Atlantic Ocean in line with other major East Coast ports.

The proposed $35 million is $15 million more than $20 million allocated in the current 2014 fiscal year, U.S. Sens. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D., Pa.), Tom Carper (D., De.), and Chris Coons (D., De.) said in a statement.

The deepening project, which began in March 2010, received $42 million in federal funds in fiscal year 2013, and $16.9 million in fiscal year 2012.

The entire $300 million deepening is expected to be completed in 2017, said Ed Voigt, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public affairs chief in Philadelphia.

- Linda Loyd

    Inquirer