(OAK BROOK, Ill.) — Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. has announced the receipt of a $113 million base contract award on the Jacksonville Harbor Construction Dredging Contract ‘B’ 47-Foot Project. Great Lakes expects the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to award additional option work items on the contract by mid-2019 with a value of $97 million, resulting in a total contract award of $210 million. Dredging is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2018 with completion of both base contract and expected options in the second quarter of 2021.
The deepening of the Jacksonville Harbor is an important project for Florida and for JAXPORT with major economic benefits and employment opportunities expected from the resulting increase in trade volumes. The project has received important support from local and state authorities as well from federal authorities.
“Great Lakes will employ several large cutter and mechanical dredges to perform this complex deepening project which involves the excavation and offshore disposal of over 5.5 million cubic yards of material," said David Simonelli, president of dredging. "Our operations method and equipment have been carefully considered and selected to minimize disturbance to the environment and sea life during project execution.”
Great Lakes has also received a $48 million base contract award on the Big Bend Channel of the Port of Tampa Bay. Great Lakes expects the Army Corps of Engineers to award additional option work items on the contract by early 2019 with a value of $25 million, resulting in a total contract award of $74 million. Dredging is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2018 with completion of both base contract and expected options in the third quarter of 2019.
Port Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest and most diverse seaport, supporting liquid and dry bulk raw materials, container cargo and one million plus cruise passengers each year. Expanding the Big Bend Channel, which connects to the main channel in Tampa’s harbor, will allow for larger vessels to dock along the channel and ease the movement of goods through the port to the Interstate 4 corridor. This project is sponsored by the USACE Jacksonville District, the Tampa Bay Port Authority, the Florida Department of Transportation and two of the port’s largest tenants.
“Great Lakes is pleased to add the Big Bend Terminal project to our growing backlog," Simonelli said. "We will employ several cutter suction dredges to perform the excavation and in bay island disposal of over 4.1 million cubic yards of material. Great Lakes’ fleet of dredges is well suited to perform the difficult soil excavation required for port deepening projects.”
