Overview of the Comprehensive Miami Harbor Study

The Port of Miami (Port) ranks in the top 10 cargo container ports in the United States and remains the largest container port in Florida. The Port has more than 40 shipping lines calling on over 132 countries and over 362 ports. In addition to its strength as a cargo port, the Port is also the largest multi-day cruise passenger homeport in the world (Port of Miami, 2005). The total economic impact of Port operations on the nation is estimated at more than $12 billion per year. More than 90,000 jobs are directly or indirectly attributable to Port operations (Port of Miami, 2005). In 1997, the Port, working through Congress, requested the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) study the feasibility of improving navigation in Miami Harbor. Receipt of funding in 1999 allowed for initiation of the study. In 2004, the Corps completed the study that evaluated possible safety and efficiency improvements to the Miami Harbor channel system. The study recommended $181 million in improvements including 8 feet of deepening from a project depth of 42 feet to 50 feet and significant widening of various channels, basins, and berthing areas. The paper overviews the steps the team used to conduct the planning study, discusses major challenges that were faced, and outlines how the team worked collaboratively with stakeholders to ultimately produce a recommended improvement plan that met the efficiency and safety improvement needs while minimizing environmental impacts.