Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey, and Congressmen Michael Capuano and Stephen F. Lynch were recognized by the Port of Boston and its users today for their hard work and success in ensuring that the $310 million Boston Harbor deepening project was included in the federal Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA). The U.S. House of Representatives passed WRRDA by a vote of 412-4 on May 20, 2014. The Senate passed WRRDA by a vote of 91-7 two days later. President Obama signed the act into law on June 10, 2014 and specifically mentioned the Port of Boston in his remarks on water infrastructure and harbor deepening projects across the country. “The Boston Harbor Improvement Project is an important infrastructure investment that will help grow our economy in Boston and throughout the Commonwealth,” said Sen. Warren. “I was glad to work with my colleagues in the Massachusetts delegation on this effort. This federal funding is a great example of how the federal government can be a strong partner for the state and for Massport to support key infrastructure improvements that boost commerce and keep Massachusetts competitive.”  “Boston Harbor is an economic anchor for the entire New England region, and this investment will help ensure its future as a port of world-class distinction,” said Sen. Markey. “Improving the harbor to accommodate more and larger ships will bring more jobs, more investment, and more economic activity to the harbor. I thank Senator Warren, Reps. Capuano and Lynch, and Massport for their leadership and commitment to securing this vital funding for the Boston Harbor Improvement Project.” “While this project is necessary to deepen the harbor’s navigation channels so they can accommodate larger ships, it also represents a significant economic benefit to the region,” stated Rep. Capuano, who led the delegation in securing funding as a member of the Transportation Committee. “The Boston Harbor Improvement Project will create jobs and stimulate additional economic activity, as well as improve the delivery of cargo. I thank Massport for working with us on this important project.”  “This funding for the Boston Harbor dredging project is a huge investment that encourages job creation in our transportation sector,” said Rep. Lynch. “This project will allow Tom Glynn and the folks at Massport to accommodate larger container ships and remain globally competitive and the resulting economic activity will benefit the entire New England region. I am thankful to Mike Capuano as well as Senators Warren and Markey for their assistance and look forward to witnessing the long term positive impact of the project on the region.” The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), who is responsible for dredging the inner and outer channels of the Boston Harbor, estimates that every dollar invested, will yield nearly nine-dollars in economic return. That is a $2.7 billion economic benefit for New England. The Port of Boston is currently responsible for $4.6 billion of economic activity and 7,000 direct jobs.  “We are constantly working to grow our container volumes at Conley Container Terminal,” said Massport CEO Thomas P. Glynn. “Our volumes are currently up and showing year-over-year growth. The demand for waterborne cargo is real and it translates to economic impact as well as the creation of good-paying blue-collar jobs.” Much of this growth is attributed to the shippers’ preference to land cargo as close as possible to its ultimate destination, especially at a port like Boston where the average truck turn times over the last year are consistently at or below 30 minutes.  “One-third of all waterborne cargo in and out of New England through Conley Terminal,” said Massport Port Director Deborah Hadden. “By dredging the harbor and completing necessary landside improvements, the Army Corps estimates that we can double that volume. This means that another third of New England’s waterborne cargo can come directly into Boston rather than the Port of New York/New Jersey and trucked into New England on the I-95 corridor.” Ports along the U.S. eastern seaboard are making preparations for larger ships as construction to widen the Panama Canal is currently underway. Shipping lines have already begun utilizing larger ships on their services. Just last month, Boston welcomed the largest ship ever to call the port—the 8,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) MSC Judith, but not without some challenges using Conley Terminal’s existing infrastructure. The need for deeper channels, berths, and landside improvements are evident and Massport commended the abilities of the workers in unloading and loading the ship with the current constraints. Once construction of the Panama Canal is complete—which they project will be in 2016—U.S. East Coast ports will begin seeing larger and larger ships and Boston must be ready for them if the port wishes to remain competitive. The ACOE estimates that dredging construction of Boston Harbor will begin in the fall of 2015 and will be complete in the spring of 2017.  Each year, more than one million tons of cargo pass through the Paul W. Conley Container Terminal, which provides the shipping facilities New England needs to be a major international trader.   The Boston Fish Pier, which opened in 1914, provides berthing space with shore-to-ship power for the region's fishermen, as well as seafood processing and office space. Massport is preserving this vital local industry, and maintaining a working waterfront that is significant to the state’s maritime heritage.