The study conducted pursuant to this authority resulted in a Chief’s Report dated June 8, 1998, and in project authority in §101(a)(22) of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 1999 (Pub. L. No. 106-53). As discussed in the Chief of Engineer’s Report, the project included improvements to access channels serving the public terminals of Dundalk, Seagirt, and South Locust Point. The federal government assumed maintenance of these channels at their authorized depth. Note that §101(a)(22)(i) mentions deepening an access channel to the Dundalk Marine Terminal to 50 feet that was not accomplished. 

The USACE Baltimore District and MDOT MPA will conduct a feasibility study to evaluate the advisability of modifications to the Seagirt Loop channels, which include the West Dundalk Branch Channel, the Dundalk-Seagirt Connecting Channel, and the Seagirt West Branch Channel, to accommodate the increased post-Panamax vessel traffic at the Seagirt Marine Terminal. The feasibility cost-sharing agreement (FCSA) between USACE and MDOT MPA was executed on September 22, 2020. The agreement between USACE and MDOT MPA formally begins a study of improvements to the Seagirt Loop channels. The feasibility study will comply with the USACE SMART Planning Milestones for a 3x3 study (policy requirement to complete the study in three years for less than $3 million). The study will be conducted in four segments:

• Segment 1: Scoping and Alternatives Analyses
• Segment 2: Tentatively Selected Plan
• Segment 3: Agency Decision and Draft Report
• Segment 4: Detailed designs and final Report Preparation

Since completion of the Baltimore Harbor Anchorages and Channels (BHAC) Study (1998), which resulted in the construction of significant navigation improvements to Baltimore Harbor anchorages and access channels, the future with project conditions projected in the study have significantly changed as a result of worldwide fleet shifts towards these larger container vessels.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Maryland Port Administration (MPA), a division of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), are conducting a feasibility study to determine the advisability of modifications to the BHAC, including for the Seagirt Loop channels that serve the Seagirt Marine Terminal, the destination for a majority of container traffic in the Port. The objective of the study is to identify one or more solutions that can safely accommodate the projected increase in post-Panamax vessels calling at the Port.  

The overall goal of the study is to affirm, reformulate, or modify the BHAC authority by recommending actions that meet the changed current and future conditions at Baltimore Harbor and the Port facilities. The study objectives are to develop solutions that:  

• Decrease transportation delays to vessels calling at the Port.
• Improve navigability and increase safety for vessels using the Seagirt Loop channels. 
• Meet current and forecasted future capacity needs for container traffic at the Port.