WILMINGTON, Del. (AP)- Work is set to resume on deepening the Delaware River.
Dredging crews will begin an $18.5 million project this month to deepen 14 miles of the shipping channel. The project is part of a decades-long effort to deepen the route between Philadelphia and the ocean.
Work is now nearing the halfway mark. The dredging project has been in the works since the 1980s and was authorized by Congress in 1992. Work finally began in 2010. Port and labor groups say a deeper channel will protect local ports and jobs as shippers use larger vessels.
Last year, a federal appeals court rejected an appeal from environmental groups and the state of New Jersey challenging the project
The total project cost has been estimated at $267 million.
