State budget secures critical funding for Wilmington harbor, NC senator says

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Sen. Michael Lee says the compromise state budget secures $283.8 million for the Wilmington Harbor Navigation Improvement Project.

On Tuesday, Gov. Roy Cooper agreed he would sign the legislature’s final two-year budget bill into law once it reaches his desk, saying the good contained inside the Republican-penned bill “outweighs the bad.”

“The Port of Wilmington is a critical East Coast gateway,” Lee (R-New Hanover) wrote in a statement. “The Wilmington Harbor Navigation Improvement Project will ensure it remains a vibrant, competitive port for North Carolina’s businesses and will ensure that the Port of Wilmington remains the choice East Coast port. The mission of the North Carolina State Ports Authority is to enhance the economy of the entire State. With the supply chain issues facing our nation, it’s now more important than ever to ensure that our ports are healthy and can handle the larger container vessels currently calling the East Coast.”

According to N.C. Ports, the preferred plan would deepen the Wilmington Navigational Harbor to 47 feet, allowing for larger, deep-draft container vessels in U.S. East Coast-Asia trade to access the port. It will also allow for more efficient cargo movement in and out of the Carolinas. The completion of this project will attract more import and export business and boost economic output and job growth in the state.

The US Army Corps of Engineers is currently preparing to conduct the final study stage, including the environmental review of the preferred plan. The Wilmington Harbor Navigation Improvement Project is still pending approval from the federal government.

North Carolina Ports directly and indirectly support 87,700 jobs across the state.

The General Assembly will vote on the compromise state budget plan this week.