Corps, Port Consider Channel Widening Options

A federal review of the Tampa Bay ship channel that began with up to 18 options including a loop channel and separate anchorage areas has resulted in a recommendation from the Army Corps of Engineers to widen the main channel from 500 to 600 feet from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge north to Big Bend.

However, the Tampa Port Authority, which is responsible for 25% of the costs, is pushing for a much smaller project ö widening Cut B just north of the skyway to help straighten out a turn in the channel. ãOur 25% is a big chunk of cash and we looked at the payback,ä said Richard Wainio, port director. ãIt just didnât make economic sense.ä

Estimated costs for construction, maintenance and interest over an anticipated 50-year economic life are $6,026,400 per year for the project recommended by the Corps. Comparable costs for widening just Cut B are $1,192,400, although the port hopes to have additional anchorage areas budgeted in the final recommendations.

The widening may not eliminate the current queuing or passing problems, but it is the most economically feasible alternative, notes Mark Wolff, the Corpsâ technical leader for the Tampa harbor project.

The loop channel, proposed to eliminate delays caused when cruise ships or vessels carrying hazardous cargo that require large safety zones basically close down the main channel, was not cost-effective, Wolff said. ãFrankly we were surprised,ä he said. ãWe expected it to fill the bill.ä

Reducing the scale of the widening also reduces the environmental impact. ãOur circulation models donât show much change because the channels wonât be deeper and will only be wider by 100 feet,ä said Bill Fonferek, the Corpsâ biologist.

Spoil from the widening, which is estimated to be about 90% sand, is currently planned for offshore disposal, but that may change if cost-effective beneficial uses are identified, Wolff added.

Technology Enhances Safety

Much of the focus on widening the channel has been for safety reasons but new technology also is playing a critical role in preventing collisions and groundings. PORTS ö or the Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System ö is a system of sensors providing real-time data on currents as well as water and wind levels.

Accessible through shipboard laptop computers, PORTS had a $7 million annual impact on the Tampa Bay economy, according to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the first study of its kind in the nation. PORTS helped prevent 50% of anticipated groundings among tankers, resulting in estimated savings of $2.8 million. It also allowed phosphate tankers to increase tonnage for a savings of $1.1 million and enabled shippers to avoid nearly $1.8 million in costs by increasing efficiency and accuracy.

The onboard laptops also are used for the vessel traffic and information system (VTIS), which links each ship to a differential GPS system that provides real-time data on other ships in the channel. Coordinating the location of other ships along with wind and current information helps to guard against collisions and groundings.

Both PORTS and VTIS are functioning in Tampa Bay, although efforts to obtain funding for improvements and ongoing maintenance has been only partially successful.

Sparkman Channel (right) runs between Harbour Island (center) and the portâs petroleum farm (not shown) to the east.

A Tale of Two Channels

While the process of widening the main ship channel began in 2001 and probably wonât be complete until after the end of the decade, a small but critical widening project near Channelside in downtown Tampa started last April and will likely wrap up by the end of March, just before birds return to nest on spoil island 2-D.

Sparkman Channel, which lies between Harbour Island and the portâs petroleum farm, leads to cruise ship terminals where approximately one million passengers embark every year.

Nearly 20 million tons of petroleum products move through the port every year, serving customers across west and central Florida. Its petroleum berths and storage facilities are so critical that the state funded 75% of the $4.6 million construction cost.

At the same time, the newer and larger cruise ships require larger safety zones, particularly when theyâre near flammable materials. ãThereâs little or no margin for error,ä notes Steve Fidler, the portâs director of operations. ãIf the winds exceed a certain level, weâre not able to bring a Miracle-class ship into Channelside.ä

Seven times over the past 12 months, cruise ship passengers have disembarked from a cargo berth and been bused back to the main terminal. ãItâs inconvenient for passengers and theyâre not getting the experience they paid for,ä adds Richard Wainio, port director.

Cruise ships bring in 25% of the portâs operating revenues, Wainio said, and now is an important time for Tampa to attract new ships. The newest class of cruise ship ö at 951 feet long and 201 feet high ö wonât fit under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Of the 19 ships currently under construction around the world, only two are small enough to sail into Tampa Bay.

ãWe need to be ready to handle additional Miracle-class ships so that when Miami and Port Everglades get the new ships, we can attract the ships they displace,ä he said. ãCarnival is very impressed with what weâve done and we believe in a year or two theyâll bring in another ship or upgrade the Inspiration ö but it never would have happened without a wider channel.ä