Port Manatee harbor study funding in federal budget

The prospect of a deeper channel and harbor for Port Manatee is a step closer with the new fiscal year federal budget. The Obama administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2015 includes $100,000 for the initial study for the deepening project, according to a written statement. The Manatee Harbor deepening would allow the port to handle most of the vessels transiting the Panama Canal after the canal’s expansion is completed. The project would deepen the harbor from 40 to 45 feet. Port…