Biden, congressional members tour Delaware River Deepening Project

Published Oct. 17, 2014
Vice President Joe Biden spoke about the importance of the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening to ports along the Delaware River and the regional economy during an Oct 16 event at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. Federal, state, local, non-profit, and industry representatives from the Delaware Valley attended the event. (Photo by Tim Boyle)

Vice President Joe Biden spoke about the importance of the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening to ports along the Delaware River and the regional economy during an Oct 16 event at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. Federal, state, local, non-profit, and industry representatives from the Delaware Valley attended the event. (Photo by Tim Boyle)

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company Project Manager Brian Puckett explains dredging operations to Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Bob Brady and Congressman Chaka Fattah during an Oct 16 event. Leaders were briefed on the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project and toured the Dredge 54 at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company Project Manager Brian Puckett explains dredging operations to Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Bob Brady and Congressman Chaka Fattah during an Oct 16 event. Leaders were briefed on the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project and toured the Dredge 54 at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company Project Manager Brian Puckett explains dredging operations to Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Bob Brady and Congressman Chaka Fattah during an Oct 16 event. Leaders were briefed on the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project and toured the Dredge 54 at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company Project Manager Brian Puckett explains dredging operations to Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Bob Brady and Congressman Chaka Fattah during an Oct 16 event. Leaders were briefed on the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project and toured the Dredge 54 at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss briefed Vice President Biden and congressional members on the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project during an Oct. 16 event at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss briefed Vice President Biden and congressional members on the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project during an Oct. 16 event at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.

Vice President Joe Biden spoke about the importance of the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening to ports along the Delaware River and the regional and national economy. Congressman Chaka Fattah, Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr., Congressman Robert Brady USACE Philadelphia District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss are pictured left to right.

Vice President Joe Biden spoke about the importance of the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening to ports along the Delaware River and the regional and national economy. Congressman Chaka Fattah, Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr., Congressman Robert Brady USACE Philadelphia District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss are pictured left to right.

Vice President Joe Biden spoke about the importance of the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening to ports along the Delaware River and the regional and national economy. Congressman Chaka Fattah, Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr., Congressman Robert Brady USACE Philadelphia District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss are pictured left to right.

Vice President Joe Biden spoke about the importance of the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening to ports along the Delaware River and the regional and national economy. Congressman Chaka Fattah, Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr., Congressman Robert Brady USACE Philadelphia District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss are pictured left to right.

Vice President Joe Biden spoke about the importance of the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening to ports along the Delaware River and the regional and national economy. Congressman Chaka Fattah, Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr., Congressman Robert Brady USACE Philadelphia District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss are pictured left to right.

Vice President Joe Biden spoke about the importance of the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening to ports along the Delaware River and the regional and national economy. Congressman Chaka Fattah, Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr., Congressman Robert Brady USACE Philadelphia District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss are pictured left to right.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss briefed Vice President Biden and congressional members on the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project during an Oct. 16 event at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company crew members are pictured in the background

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss briefed Vice President Biden and congressional members on the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project during an Oct. 16 event at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company crew members are pictured in the background

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss briefed Vice President Biden and congressional members on the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project during an Oct. 16 event at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss briefed Vice President Biden and congressional members on the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project during an Oct. 16 event at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.

Vice President Joe Biden toured ongoing Delaware River Main Channel Deepening operations in Philadelphia on Oct. 16. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company Project Manager Brian Puckett, Congressman Robert Brady, Congressman Chaka Fattah and Philadelphia District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss are pictured left to right.
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Vice President Joe Biden toured ongoing Delaware River Main Channel Deepening operations in Philadelphia on Oct. 16. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company Project Manager Brian Puckett, Congressman Robert Brady, Congressman Chaka Fattah and Philadelphia District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss are pictured left to right.

Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Bob Brady and Congressman Chaka Fattah were briefed on the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss and chief of Operations Division Tony DePasquale. After the brief, the leaders toured the Dredge 54, owned and operated by Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company.
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Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Bob Brady and Congressman Chaka Fattah were briefed on the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss and chief of Operations Division Tony DePasquale. After the brief, the leaders toured the Dredge 54, owned and operated by Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss and Chief of Operations Tony DePasquale briefed Vice President Biden and congressional members on the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project during an Oct. 16 event at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. (Photo by Tim Boyle)
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss and Chief of Operations Tony DePasquale briefed Vice President Biden and congressional members on the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project during an Oct. 16 event at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. (Photo by Tim Boyle)

Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Bob Brady and Congressman Chaka Fattah were briefed on the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss and chief of Operations Division Tony DePasquale. After the brief, the leaders toured the Dredge 54, owned and operated by Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company. (Photo by Tim Boyle)
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Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Bob Brady and Congressman Chaka Fattah were briefed on the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss and chief of Operations Division Tony DePasquale. After the brief, the leaders toured the Dredge 54, owned and operated by Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company. (Photo by Tim Boyle)

PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 16, 2014) – Vice President Joe Biden visited Penn's Landing to tour ongoing Delaware River Main Channel Deepening operations and discuss the importance of dredging and maritime commerce to the economy.

Biden was joined by Sen. Bob Casey and Reps. Bob Brady and Chaka Fattah from Pennsylvania, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Michael Bliss, state and local officials and port and industry representatives.

"This project will have a profound impact on the economic landscape of this region," said Biden, who discussed the thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of cargo associated with the ports along the Delaware River.

Biden said the Delaware River has been the artery of commerce for the region for more than 300 years and, fundamentally, little has changed.

"There is a confluence of capabilities here with the existing infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and forty percent of the U.S. population lives within a one-day drive of the port," said Biden. "But, thirty percent of ships need a deeper channel for navigation. And by 2017, there will be 600 more ships built that require a 40 to 45 foot depth for navigation."

Many years in the making, the deepening of the Delaware River federal navigation channel from 40 to 45 feet, from Philadelphia to the sea, is now well past the halfway point, with five dredging contracts completed and two contracts under construction. The $300 million project will provide for more efficient shipping to and from the Delaware River ports, mostly by accommodating the larger container vessels that will soon be coming through an expanded Panama Canal.

Officials toured the 54, a mechanical bucket dredge owned and operated by Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company under a $25 million contract to deepen the northernmost section of the channel, between the Ben Franklin and Walt Whitman Bridges in Philadelphia. 

"The average person rides over the (Ben Franklin Bridge) and they look down and they have, understandably, no idea how much of their economic well-being depends on what happens at this port," Biden said. "We need this work, we need this port."

After touring the dredge, Biden thanked Lt. Col. Bliss and the Army Corps, the congressional delegation, and the port community for their ongoing project support.

In remarks leading up to the vice president's, Casey said investing in infrastructure and waterways is essential to economic development in the region and nation. Brady, who has advocated for the project for many years, thanked the state, local, and industry officials for supporting the project and contributing non-federal funding for construction. Fattah highlighted the thousands of direct and indirect jobs associated with the Port of Philadelphia.   

Also attending the event were representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard; Philadelphia Regional Port Authority; Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay; Port of Wilmington; South Jersey Port Corporation; Pilots' Association for the Bay and River Delaware; Delaware River Waterfront Corporation; Independence Seaport Museum; Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company; and other state, local, industry and labor organizations. 


Contact
Steve Rochette
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Release no. 14-024