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10/7/2025
The Alabama Port Authority (APA) yesterday opened its 50-feet Port of Mobile ship channel for large ocean vessels to dock.
Within hours of the channel being certified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Mobile Bar Pilots to receive freight, an ocean vessel docked at the deepened channel to load cargo, APA officials said in a press release.
The deepening of the channel is part of a broader $366 million state-federal partnership to make the Port of Mobile the deepest container port on the Gulf of Mexico, APA officials said. Deepening the channel prepares the port for future larger ocean vessels.
Although the deepening project is completed, work continues on widening the turning basin near the port's container terminal. State authorities have been working on securing funding through federal and state resources, including the Alabama Department of Transportation's Rebuild Alabama Act, which was signed into law in 2019, APA officials said.
"This milestone shows the immediate value of the project," said APA Interim Director and CEO Doug Otto. "As soon as [USACE] confirmed the channel was ready, our customers took advantage of the additional depth. This is exactly why this project matters — it means lower shipping costs, more efficient trade and an even stronger economic engine for Alabama."
The port is served by Norfolk Southern Railway, Canadian Pacific Kansas City, CSX, CN and BNSF Railway, as well as four short lines, including the port's own switching railroad.