The Port of Oakland and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have signed a design agreement for a $642 million harbor improvement project. The agreement advances the Oakland Harbor Turning Basins Widening Project into the pre-construction, engineering, and design phase.
The project will widen the Inner and Outer Harbor turning basins at the Oakland Seaport to accommodate larger vessels. The Inner Harbor Turning Basin will expand by 334 feet, increasing its diameter from 1,500 feet to 1,834 feet. The Outer Harbor Turning Basin will expand by 315 feet, from 1,650 feet to 1,965 feet. The larger basins will provide additional maneuvering space for containerships using Oakland’s 50-foot-deep federal navigation channels.
USACE and the Port are considering a design-build approach for the Outer Harbor work. The project will also reuse suitable dredged material to support the creation of approximately 205 acres of wetlands.
The latest agreement follows completion of the project’s Chief of Engineers Report in 2024. Oakland previously completed a $433 million harbor deepening project in 2009.