1. What is Craney Island?

What is often referred to as “Craney Island” is the Craney Island Dredge Material Management Area (CIDMMA).  CIDMMA is a man-made 2500-acre dredge material placement site in Portsmouth, Virginia located at the confluence of the Elizabeth and James Rivers.  CIDMMA was authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1946 and construction was completed in 1958.  The site receives navigation related dredge material from private and public dredging projects bounded by the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel on the west, to the James River on the north, and the entire Elizabeth and Nanesmond Rivers.  The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) owns and operates the CIDMMA.

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2. What is the Craney Island Eastward Expansion?

The Craney Island Eastward Expansion is a joint project by the USACE and the Virginia Port Authority (VPA).  This unique dual purpose project will extend the life of the CIDMMA to receive dredge material by creating a new 580-acre expansion on the east side of the existing CIDMMA.  After the expansion is filled, the site will provide an area for construction of a much needed marine terminal.

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3. Why is an expansion needed?

During the Feasibility Study and the preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the USACE determined that the existing CIDMMA would reach capacity in 2025 and the Virginia Port Authority would run out of capacity in 2011.  The Craney Island Eastward Expansion serves to extend the life of CIDMMA while also providing a space for the needed marine terminal.

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4. With the new APM/Maersk Terminal, is another marine terminal required?

Yes.  While the new APM/Maersk Terminal will provide much needed capacity in the near term, APM and the existing state-owned facilities (VPA) will still run out of capacity around 2017 to 2020.

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5. What other alternatives were considered?

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the USACE and the VPA considered every reasonable alternative for handling dredge material disposal and also alternatives for handling containerized cargo.   In total, 51 alternate dredge material placement sites and 25 alternate port sites  were considered.  Details of the alternatives analysis can be found in the Environmental Impact Statement.

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6. How will impacts to the environment be minimized?

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the USACE and the VPA have taken all reasonable steps to avoid and minimize impacts to the environment.  The un-avoidable impacts to the Elizabeth River will be compensated for through an extensive environmental mitigation plan.  During development of the Environmental Impact Study (EIS), a committee of local scientists, engineers, regulatory personnel, and environmental interests developed a plan to clean-up and restore a major portion of the Elizabeth River.  The plan will be further developed during the design and permitting phase of the project.

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7. What is the project schedule?

The USACE and the VPA began the preliminary engineering and design phase in the Spring 2007.  Construction on the new dikes is scheduled to begin in 2010 and the first phase of the terminal is scheduled to open in 2020.

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8. Is the Third Crossing required for the marine terminal?

No.  The Third Crossing is a regional transportation project that would relieve congestion on the existing Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT).  The Craney Island Marine Terminal will be constructed with a road and rail connection to State Route 164 and the median rail corridor.   The Third Crossing is planned to tie-in to the Craney Island Road and Rail connection some time in the future, further enhancing regional mobility.

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9. What is the Commonwealth Mainline Safety Relocation Project (CRMSRP) and how is it related to Craney Island Marine Terminal Development?

The CRMSRP consists of the relocation of this rail line to the median of Route 164 and I-664. This rail line will eventually be extended from the APM Terminal to provide access to the Craney Island Marine Terminal. For more information on this project visit the VPA engineering site.

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10. How does the rail line traverse from Route 164 to Interstate-664?

I-664 and Route 164 were constructed to accommodate the required crossings. The rail line will also cross Highway 17. The bridge being designed to create a grade separation at Highway 17 will be constructed as a part of this project. Highway 17 will be carried over the rail line via this bridge.

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11. When will the Craney Island Marine Terminal (CIMT) be operational? How do I find out about employment opportunities with CIMT?

Construction of the eastward expansion is scheduled to begin in 2010 and the first phase of the marine terminal is planned to be operational by 2020.  It is anticipated that a variety of opportunities will emerge directly from this project in the future. Please see the employment information page for more information on careers in the maritime industry.

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12. How has The Port of Virginia served as a tactical asset to the U.S. Military, throughout history?

With an extensive history in maritime defense, the Hampton Roads region provides an ideal location for U.S. Naval shipyards and other strategic military facilities.  In fact, The Port of Virginia has played a strategic role in support of U.S. Military operations since the Nation’s infancy and well beyond. 

• In 1776, the Gosport Navy Yard was founded along the western shore of the Elizabeth River. Gosport was a productive naval and merchant facility, first under the British Crown and later under the control of the Commonwealth.  The name of the former colonial asset was changed to Norfolk Naval Shipyard in 1863.  Still in operation today, Norfolk Naval Shipyard the U.S. Navy’s oldest shipyard –predating the department of the Navy by 31 years.  To learn more, visit the Norfolk Naval Shipyard website.

• The Battle of Craney Island, fought a year after a young United States declared war on Great Britain in June of 1812, became the battle that would save the cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk, Virginia from British invasion.  U.S. forces built defenses around Craney Island and protected from 2,000 invading British soldiers aiming to destroy the port and its surrounding cities by land and sea.  The Battle of Craney Island represents one of the few American won battles during the War of 1812.  To learn more about the Battle of Craney Island, click here.

• Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) served as an Army Quartermaster Depot in World War I. 

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13. What role does the Port of Virginia Play in Modern U.S. Military operations?

The Port of Virginia is one of 13 federally-designated strategic commercial seaports in the Nation.  As a strategic port, The Port of Virginia can be activated to ship equipment and resources, as well as to convey port land and facilities to support U.S. military contingencies.  To learn more about The Port of Virginia role as a strategic port, click here.   

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14. How will the Craney Island Eastward Expansion support The Port of Virginia’s role as a strategic port?

Through the Craney Island Eastward Expansion, The Port of Virginia and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are poised to support future military operations in the event of an international conflict, emergency, or contingency.  The project represents an important response to meeting challenges to navigation and capacity, as domestic and international marine cargo trade is expected to double by 2020. The Craney Island Eastward Expansion guarantees that The Port of Virginia remains a robust strategic asset to the U.S. military by meeting future challenges to cargo capacity, goods movement, and navigation. 

• Craney Island Marine Terminal will feature seven berths, 8,400 linear feet of wharf, and over 500 acres of cargo handling area.
• CIMT will provide expanded multimodal rail services by way of an on-terminal Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF) designed to handle 1 million containers per year.

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15. What is the status of the environmental permits needed for the Expansion?

The environmental permitting process for the Craney Island Eastward Expansion project has taken nearly 10 years to complete and has now been approved by all the necessary federal, state, and local regulatory agencies. It was fully permitted in spring 2010, when the project received final Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) permit approval. The DEQ’s Virginia Water Protection Permit (VWPP) authorizes construction of both the expansion and mitigation plan components. It was the last permit required to allow project construction to begin. The Port of Virginia is now the only East Coast port with substantial permitted expansion plans in place.

16. Will CIMT truck traffic go through my neighborhood located near Craney Island?

No. An important component of the Craney Island Marine Terminal is the Craney Island Road and Rail Connector, which will cross over the Navy’s fuel depot, the Coast Guard station, Craney Island Creek, and APM terminals, then tie into Route 164. Private residences will not be affected and traffic will avoid the neighborhoods surrounding Craney Island.

17. How will the Expansion be constructed?

The construction method for the Craney Island Eastward Expansion consists of building perimeter dikes to create a new cell on the east side of the existing facility. To minimize settlement issues along the containment structure, soft clays will be pre-dredged prior to constructing the main dike.

After pre-dredging, the dikes will be constructed by placing layers of rock and sand. This construction method will ensure the stability of the expansion and subsequent marine terminal.

After the dikes are built, the site will be filled with dredged material mined from the existing Craney Island facility, as well as from future dredging operations in the Harbor. Ground improvement techniques will then be used to strengthen the newly-placed material. At this time, the open-pile supported wharf structure will be built. The wharf will be capable of accommodating up to 28 container cranes for cargo loading and unloading operations.

With the first phase of the marine terminal complete, the remainder of the eastward expansion will continue to receive dredged material. At this time, the terminal will be operational. The terminal will continue being built in phases in order to meet the Port’s future cargo needs.

18. How come the terminal cannot be built on top of CIDMMA?

While building a marine terminal on the existing Craney Island is technically feasible and would involve many of the ground improvement techniques that will be utilized in the eastward expansion plan, this method would defeat the dual purpose of the project: extending the useful life of existing CIDMMA and providing the land for the construction of a new marine terminal.