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Port of Iberia receives more than $21 million, largest funding contract in history for site
IBERIA PARISH, La. (KLFY) -- The Port of Iberia was recently awarded $21.4 million in funds to finalize the deepening of the navigational channel from Intracoastal City to Freshwater Bayou.
This is the largest awarded contract in the port's 85-year history. Port director Craig Romero said the funds are going to help finish the final phase of the dredging of the navigational channel to the Gulf of Mexico. Phase one began last year and consisted of the Corp of Engineers dredging from the freshwater locks to the Gulf of Mexico. The final phase which is funded by the recent historical grant will finish up the dredging project began around five years ago. With this funding, the entire channel can reach the same depths of 16-feet allowing larger shipments to come deeper inland.
"They don't they don't have to go to full on offload and then truck everything back up," Romero said. "A plan that can come directly to the port of iberia and a lot of situations from the rig with drilling rises, equipment."
Romero believes once the dredging is complete, more companies will flock to the port because of its convenience.
"Other companies are coming because they can come in with larger vessels, leave with heavier loads," Romero said. "This 16-foot channel is giving them the capacity to come in and do what they need to do."