USACE approves VIPA permit to dredge Charlotte Amalie Harbor

The project to dredge the Charlotte Amalie Harbor and accommodate larger cruise ships has moved one step closer to beginning.

Carlton Dowe, the Executive Director of the Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA), announced that VIPA has received the approved permit application from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The dredging project aims to provide a controlling depth of 12.1 meters (40 feet) in the main channel, 11.5 meters (38 feet) in the turning basin, and 10.9 meters (36 feet) at the West Indian Company (WICO) berths to accommodate larger vessels.

This will enable the U.S. Virgin Islands to continue attracting the largest cruise vessels and maintain its position as a premier cruise destination in the Caribbean.

VIPA plans to put the project out to bid within the next sixty days and anticipates that the project will begin by the second quarter of 2025. The dredging will take approximately 15 months to complete.