Mobile Ship Channel reaches 50-foot-depth milestone: What it means for the Port City

The Mobile Ship Channel reached a new milestone, the Alabama Port Authority announced last week.

The channel has officially reached 50-foot depth, making it the deepest container port in the Gulf of Mexico.

Within hours of the certification, the SAKIZAWA POWER, already docked at the Port’s McDuffie Coal Terminal, became the first vessel to utilize the deeper channel, loading additional tonnage and sailing with a 48.4-foot draft—the maximum load for that particular vessel.

“This milestone shows the immediate value of the project. As soon as the Corps 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.”

Doug Otto, Alabama Port Authority Interim Director and CEO

While the channel is fully open to 50 feet, work continues to widen the turning basin near the Port’s container terminal. That phase of the project is taking longer to complete because dredged material is being beneficially used for shoreline restoration on Dauphin Island, underscoring both the economic and environmental benefits of the project.

Mobile Harbor Modernization Project

The Alabama Port Authority will host a ceremonial ribbon-cutting event in the coming weeks to commemorate the completion of the Mobile Harbor Modernization Project.

The $366 million state–federal project positions the Port of Mobile as the deepest container port in the Gulf of America, capable of handling super-post-Panamax vessels. APM Terminals Mobile expects ocean lines to begin upsizing ships in the near future, as the deeper channel will enhance efficiencies for customers.

“From the federal authorization process to passing the Rebuild Alabama Act, this would not have been possible without the leadership of former Senator Richard Shelby and Governor Kay Ivey. Together, their actions forged the state–federal partnership that brought this transformative project to completion.”

Zeke Smith, Alabama Port Authority Board Chairman

The deepening and widening of the ship channel advanced through a combination of federal and state actions dating back to 2014. Former Sen. Richard Shelby secured federal funding for the USACE to launch the General Reevaluation Report. That study led to the project’s congressional authorization in the 2018 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).

In 2019, Gov. Kay Ivey led the effort to successfully pass the Rebuild Alabama Act, signing it into law and creating the funding mechanism for Alabama’s 25 percent cost-share.

“From day one, I have said that the Port of Mobile is Alabama’s gateway to the world. By passing the Rebuild Alabama Act, we ensured that our state could provide the federal match and move this critical project forward. Today, we see the payoff of that vision. A 50-foot channel is not just a milestone for the Port—it is a generational investment in Alabama jobs, growth, and prosperity.”

Gov. Kay Ivey

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