On September 7, 2017, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District participated in a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the transit of the Container Ship CMA CGM Theodore Roosevelt and the newly raised Bayonne Bridge. The Roosevelt is the largest-capacity container ship to enter the Port of New York & New Jersey.
A small flotilla of waterborne vessels including the Army Corps' vessel Hayward heralded the Roosevelt's arrival that included a water cannon salute by a fire boat as the mammoth ship transited the Kill Van Kull Channel.
The Roosevelt’s port visit was its first, and showcased the importance of the Port Authority’s Bayonne Bridge Project completed in June.
Underway onboard the Hayward, senior New York District leaders along with invited guests assembled on deck to observe the arrival and transit of the Roosevelt.
Army Corps personnel witnessed another historic event, and the fruits of its labor in the New York Harbor. The Roosevelt’s visit was made possible by the Harbor Deepening Project. The Army Corps and Port Authority were instrumental in deepening the shipping channels in the Port to accommodate ships like the Roosevelt. During the course of the multi-year harbor deepening effort, the port’s main shipping channels were deepened to allow larger vessels to reach the Port’s container terminals that rely on deeper channels to enter port and transport cargo.
The Army Corps and The Port Authority marked the completion of the Harbor Deepening on Sept. 1, 2016 that was a major milestone in the Port’s ongoing efforts to assure its global competitiveness, and continued economic growth.
Onboard the Hayward, Col. Thomas Asbery, Commander, New York District and Joseph Seebode, Deputy District Engineer for Programs Management pointed out various Corps projects to embarked guests and highlighted various projects in the harbor.
The Roosevelt ultimately passed under the newly-raised Bayonne Bridge around 11 a.m. and entered Port Newark and docked at the APM Terminal in Elizabeth, N.J. for the official bridge inauguration ceremony.
The ship was named for the 26th President of the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt was born in New York, and was also New York State Governor and New York City Police Chief.
The CMA CGM Theodore Roosevelt is 1,202 feet long, the length of four football fields, and 166 feet wide, and can carry more than 7,200 standard 40-foot shipping containers above and below decks.
