by deep-draft vessels as early as 1963. Though the federal government had obligated funding to the MR-GO, Jefferson continued to pursue its version of the seaway. In 1956, the Police Jury considered the sale of bonds that would locally finance the seaway project. 1958, the Jefferson Industrial Seaway Commission met with legal, fiscal and engineering experts in continuing its pursuit of its project, which at that point would have required the sale of local bonds to finance construction. The promotion continued at least into the early 1960s, with continued support by Congressman Hale Boggs, who considered the Jefferson Seaway project to be a necessity even with the MR-GO becoming a reality. Jefferson Parish touted the Jefferson Seaway project as late as 1961, envisioning an increase in demand for shipping spurred by the anticipated success of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet. Moving forward, Jefferson Parish expected that its seaway would be driven and funded by private industry. However, construction of the Jefferson Seaway as a deep-draft channel never materialized, though the Barataria Bay Waterway continues its role as a federally authorized shallow-draft navigation channel. After operating for 46 years, the MR-GO was eventually decommissioned and formally closed in July 2009. See also Mississippi River–Gulf Outlet Canal Panama Canal expansion project References Canals in Louisiana Proposed infrastructure in the United States