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Port of Virginia reports steady operations, NIT optimization and ongoing dredging
Summary
Port of Virginia officials told the Portsmouth Ford Industrial Convention on Nov. 25 that operations remain steady despite tariff-driven volume variability, highlighted a roughly $650 million North End optimization at Norfolk International Terminal, continued commissioning of new cranes, and said Army Corps dredging will return deep-channel capacity to the East Coast.
Chris Gullison, speaking for the Port of Virginia, gave the commission an update on Nov. 25, saying the port has maintained service levels since the COVID era even as trade volumes fluctuate because of tariffs. "Operationally, we're performing, at the same standard and same quality of service that we have now for many years coming out of COVID," Gullison said.
Gullison described strong holiday-season throughput at the Virginia International Gateway (VIG), with heavy truck and rail movements into the hinterland on CSX and Norfolk Southern. He said Portsmouth Marine Terminal (PMT) is supporting the Coastal Virginia offshore wind project by staging large towers, blades and nacelles and accommodating installation vessels. "PMT is continuing to make tremendous strides in support of the Coastal Virginia offshore wind project," he said.
At Norfolk International Terminal (NIT), Gullison reported that the North End optimization — described in the meeting as about a $650,000,000 project — is progressing on time and on budget, with commissioning under way for rail-mounted gantry cranes intended to increase yard stacking efficiency. He also said four new ship-to-shore cranes arrived on NIT's south end and are undergoing intensive commissioning with plans to bring them online in 2026.
On harbor depth, Gullison said the Army Corps is completing final phases of a long-running dredging project and that the harbor will be among the deepest channels on the U.S. East Coast, a change he framed as important for safety, access and marketing.
Gullison also noted an impending leadership change at the port: "our current executive director will be stepping down to take a new role outside of this market," he said. The commission did not record further details about the new appointment during the meeting.
The Port's updates were delivered as informational items; because the commission lacked a quorum the meeting did not take votes or actions tied to the port report.
