Mayport Navy carrier berthing nearer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Congress approved dredging of the basin at Florida's Mayport Naval Air Station that could result in a new home for a nuclear aircraft carrier, officials said.

The $76 million project, which also includes funding for wharf upgrades, still has several more legislative steps to go through but appears to have cleared a major hurdle.

Jacksonville, Fla., has long sought a nuclear aircraft carrier to replace the conventionally powered USS John F. Kennedy, the Florida Times-Union said. But, Norfolk, va., the only East Coast naval station with carriers, has staunchly resisted efforts to take away one of its ships.

"With this dredging and wharf upgrade, we'll have a port for a carrier to come into 24 hours a day, seven days a week," said U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla. "We also know this is the first step to having a nuclear carrier home-ported there. It's big giant step in the right direction."

For a carrier to come to Mayport for a visit now, the ship has to offload personnel or wait for particular tidal conditions. Dredging would cure all that.