State, feds OK Mississippi River dredging; work may help Port of Morgan City

Louisiana and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials on Friday finalized an agreement to fund an estimated $250 million project to deepen the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico to Baton Rouge.
Louisiana’s share of the cost is estimated at $81 million, officials said.
“A deepened Mississippi River will be an economic superhighway for the state of Louisiana and the United States of America,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said at a signing ceremony in New Orleans.
The project could have a positive effect on the Port of Morgan City, said Executive Director Raymond "Mac" Wade.
"If we can get a channel open and keep it open, yes it could generate business here," Wade said in a text message Friday.
"I believe it could push smaller ships out of the bigger ports. The [Port of Morgan City] would be a great fix for smaller ships if we can et and keep our channel open."
The project will deepen the river from 45 to 50 feet to accommodate larger ships. While an extra five feet may not sound like much, the change will lead to an additional $125 million in annual economic impact, said Maj. Gen. Diana Holland, who commands the Corps’ Mississippi Valley Division. One foot of additional depth allows about $1 million in additional cargo, the governor’s office says.
In Louisiana, one in every five jobs is port-related, and 23% of the dollar amount of the state’s goods and services pass through the state’s ports, the governor’s office says.