$213 million Charleston dredging contract awarded

By Baird Maritime - November 1, 2017.

Image: Charleston District – Charleston Harbour had four dredgers working on three projects earlier this year.

Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Corporation has been awarded a US$213.3 million contract for dredging works in the Post 45 Charleston Entrance channel.

Believed to be the largest dredging contract awarded by US Army Corps of Engineers, the work includes the excavation of 6.1 million cubic metres of material to deepen a portion of the Charleston, South Carolina harbour entrance channel to a depth of 16.4 metres.

Work is expected to be completed by the end of 2020 using a combination of hopper, cutterhead and mechanical dredges.

An additional option work items contract for US$65.1 million to excavate 4.2 million cubic metres of material could be awarded within 120 days, Great Lakes said.

The dredged material will primarily be placed in the ocean dredged material disposal site (ODMDS) offshore.

The contract includes the placement of dredged rock material to create nine artificial reefs and a berm around the ODMDS, which will create more than 1.6 square kilometres of additional hard bottom.