Great Lakes Dredge & Dock (GLDD) was awarded the latest contract in the multiphase Delaware River Deepening project to dredge the river’s main channel to 13.7 m (45 ft).
The NASDAQ-listed contractor was awarded USD77 million to dredge 245,000 m³ (320,000 cubic yards) of rock and gravel in a technically difficult section of the river to dredge, according to GLDD. Work is expected to start at the end of the year and be completed by the end of 2017, GLDD stated.
A second related award valued at USD17 million will involve dredging approximately 153,000 m³ (200,000 cubic yards) of material and removing approximately 9,100 tonnes of debris at the Philadelphia Naval Reserve Basin. Work on this award is scheduled to begin in 2016 and be completed within the year.
The awards are part of the last phases of a nearly 10-year, USD360 million project to deepen 160 km (100 miles) of channel from ports in and around Philadelphia to the mouth of the Delaware Bay from 12.2 to 13.7 m (40 to 45 ft). The project is slated to be completed by the end of 2017.
GLDD CEO Jonathan Berger commented that by allowing deeper-draught vessels to access the channel, the project “will improve the efficiency of the transportation of trade cargo to the Delaware River ports, which is an important component to supporting the long-term sustainability and growth of the US economy.”
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.