Canaveral Harbor News

With forecasts indicating severe weather conditions related to Hurricane Matthew, Port Canaveral CEO John Murray today issued an evacuation order for landside operations, including Jetty Park campers, marinas and all port businesses and tenants. The evacuation deadline is set for noon on Wednesday. In addition to the landside evacuation, the U.S. Coast Guard has given notice that the Canaveral harbor will close by tomorrow afternoon. Under the Captain of the Port order, no vessel traffic…

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating a weekend incident that caused pier damage and scattered concrete debris in the harbor on Sunday. No injuries occurred and cleanup continues today. Port Canaveral harbor is undergoing widening and deepening to accommodate larger cruise and cargo ships. A bollard structure south of North Cargo Pier 2 suffered damage estimated to cost $500,000 to repair and will take up to three months to replace. There also was minor damage to North Cargo Pier 3. The damage is expected to cause some impact to cargo operations.

The Canaveral Harbor Inlet Sand Bypass Project has earned the top state ranking for 2014/15 inlet management funding. As a result, Port Canaveral is expected to receive $100,500 in grant funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for beach renourishment. To date, Port Canaveral has spent more than $2 million on the sand bypass and related beach restoration projects, leveraging more than $2.2M in additional state funds and more than $45 million from the US Army Corps of Engineers. According to Dr. William Stronge, every $1 spent on beach projects generated almost $48 in sales tax revenue last year. "We recognize the importance of our beaches to Brevard County and the state's economy," said Port Canaveral CEO John E. Walsh.

Dispute remains over who pays for maintenance costs for federal channel. The $35 million harbor widening and deepening project at Port Canaveral to allow larger ships greater safety margins for sailing in and out of the port is scheduled to begin next month with completion in November 2014. The project to widen Port Canaveral’s 400-feet wide harbor by 100 feet and deepen the entrance by two feet to 46 feet cleared the final two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting hurdles last week.

Construction has begun on the new estimated $50.5 million Cruise Terminal 1, the first to be located on the south side of Canaveral harbor and that will allow passengers and crew to walk to nearby dining and entertainment options for the first time. Port Canaveral commissioners unanimously approved selection of local firm Ivey’s Construction of Merritt Island, Florida to build the 187,500 square foot facility, which is scheduled to open in November 2014. Current boat ramps at…

The Canaveral Harbor Federal Sand Bypass Project at the Port Canaveral in Fla. is scheduled for construction this month (March). As a result, sand that has accumulated on the north side of Port Canaveral's ocean inlet will be transported south of the inlet via hydraulic dredging equipment. Nearly 630,000 cubic yards of beach quality sand will be transported across the inlet and placed along approximately two miles of shoreline south of the inlet along the City of Cape Canaveral. Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, under contract to the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, will construct the project. The Canaveral Port Authority is the local sponsor and permit holder. The U.S.

The US Coast Guard proposes to establish a security zone encompassing the navigable waters of the West Basin of Port Canaveral Harbor, . The security zone would be activated four hours prior to scheduled arrival of a cruise ship. Comments on the proposal should be submitted by Dec. 19. (Source: Holland & Knight)