Port Deepening News

“Not only does the top of the river move, but the bottom of the river also moves.” - James Bodron, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division, Regional Business Director.Dredging was the Herculean act that allowed much of the U.S. economy to keep chugging along as usual, at least for Midwest and Central states, as drought conditions threatened to shut down river traffic on the Mississippi River and its tributaries, during fall and winter 2022 and early 2023.The full scope of these U.S.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation reported a first-quarter net income of 11.1 million in the first quarter of 2022 an increase compared to first-quarter 2021 income of $8.8 million.Revenue for the quarter was $194.3 million, an increase of $16.7 million from the first quarter of 2021. The higher revenue in the first quarter of 2022 was due to higher domestic capital and coastal protection revenue, offset partially by a decrease in revenue from maintenance dredging, rivers and lakes…

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation announced it has signed a $92.5 million dredging contract for the Houston Ship Channel Widening and Improvement Project 11. This is the first phase of the extensive, multi-phase Houston Ship Channel billion-dollar expansion and deepening program. Dredging is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2022 with estimated completion in the fourth quarter of 2022.Project 11 is a plan to widen the 52- mile Houston Ship Channel which winds from the Gulf of Mexico through shallow Galveston Bay and up through the port.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation has been awarded a $105 million Base and Option B contract award on the Jacksonville Harbor Construction Dredging, 47-Foot Contract C Cut-42 Project, the U.S.' largest dredging services provider announced Friday.Great Lakes said it expects the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to award additional option work items on the contract by mid-2021 with a value of $11.5 million, resulting in a total contract award of $116.5 million.Dredging is scheduled…

The dredging market in the U.S. is strong and growing, a bright spot for U.S. shipyards, with increased funding for critical infrastructure projects and port dredging at the federal and state levels. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, the country’s largest dredging company, has invested mightily in new dredgers at U.S. yards. Lasse Petterson, CEO and President, shares insights on the strategy ahead.You have sat at the helm of Great Lakes Dredge and Dock for just over three years. What…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' FY2020 Work Plan release on Monday places dredging at the forefront.“We welcome the FY 2020 Work Plan released by the Army Corps,” said William P. Doyle, CEO of the Dredging Contractors of America. “We’re ready – our dredging companies are hard at work on projects and continue to build new dredging ships for America’s ports, waterways and beaches.”The Work Plan is based on the FY2020 Energy and Water Development appropriations bills signed into law by President Trump in December 2019.In December 2019…

The reasons for that are many and these realities cater to regulatory, commercial and regional needs.The U.S. dredging market is complex and relies on the diverse fleet of private dredging companies to get the job done. In addition to design and technical capabilities, environmental restrictions and regulations often dictate whether a trailing suction hopper dredge, cutter suction dredge, or mechanical dredge can respond to the coastal protection, wetland restoration, port deepening, and channel maintenance needs of the Nation.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD) announced the receipt of dredging awards totaling $91 million.The awarded work includes:the Virginia Beach project (Coastal Protection, Virginia, $22.6 million);the Sandbridge project (Coastal Protection, Virginia, $20.3 million);Galveston Ship Channel (Maintenance, Texas, $21.2 million);Freeport LNG Basin (Maintenance, Texas, $4.6 million)San Jacinto Variation Order (Rivers and Lakes, Texas, $17.1 million) andMissouri River 2019 Floods…

We have had a great first couple of months at the Dredging Contractors of America. As the new CEO and Executive Director, I have begun to visit the companies, their facilities and associated dredging projects. So far, I have surveyed the beach re-nourishment project in Ocean City, Md. undertaken by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock. I’ve canvassed Weeks Marine’s repair and yard facility in Jersey City, N.J. In the last week of February, I visited Mike Hooks Inc.’s corporate headquarters and boatbuilding and repair yard in West Lake, La.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation, a provider of dredging services in the United States and a major provider of environmental and infrastructure services, has announced multiple updates. Chief Executive Officer, Lasse Petterson, commented, “During the two months since we reported second quarter earnings, a number of developments have occurred at the Company. “As noted on the quarterly earnings call on August 2, we are executing a deep dive into our operational and financial performance. We have performed extensive analysis regarding our portfolio composition and asset utilization.

Nordic Logistics and Warehousing has doubled capacity at its Savannah location, holding a ribbon cutting Friday for a new 200,000-square-foot cold storage and blast freezing facility. "Exactly three years ago, Nordic opened its doors here in Savannah to give our customers the logistical advantages that come with one of America's most efficient ports, combined with the superior connectivity of Interstates 95 and 16," said Don Schoenl, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nordic.

A recommended $73 million plan to deepen the Redwood City Harbor and San Bruno Shoal channels, the navigation corridors essential for commerce and the Port of Redwood City, has been issued  in draft by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers' San Francisco District. The port is conducting a public hearing on what is called the "Redwood City Navigation Improvement Project" August 10 at 7 p.m. at Redwood City Hall to allow public comment and recommendations on the project's Draft Feasibility Study and Environment Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx was joined by Vice President Joe Biden, and Maritime Administrator Chip Jaenichen at the Wando Welch Terminal Project in Charleston as part of the secretary’s four-day, five state GROW AMERICA Express bus tour aimed at encouraging Congress to act on a long-term transportation bill. Current surface transportation funding is set to expire on May 31st. “The infrastructure we’re helping to build here at the Wando Welch Terminal means a safer, more efficient, and economically competitive facility,” said Secretary Fox.

Spend dollars up on dredging, cubic yards moved down. Combined with a reduction in the USACE federal budget, the situation threatens a perfect storm for domestic requirements. U.S. dredging this decade, measured in cubic yards, is only half as active as it was in the early 1960s, with maintenance down slightly since then and new work off considerably, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or USACE. The nation’s spending on dredging in unadjusted dollars has swelled tenfold since the 1960’s, however.

Savannah port deepening gets green light. With the president’s signing today of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014, the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) is authorized to begin construction. “With today’s action, SHEP has officially received a green light,” said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis Foltz. "This project is the result of an open and collaborative process involving all interested stakeholders which received approval of multiple regulatory agencies.

The U.S. Senate’s passage of the federal Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (WRRDA) has cleared the way for construction to begin on the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project. The House passed identical legislation on Tuesday. Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis Foltz called the bill’s passage a critical milestone. “Today’s action is an important step toward better accommodating the larger vessels that are the new standard in global shipping,” said Foltz.

The $35 million in additional port deepening funds proposed by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has been approved by the state legislature and now awaits the governor’s signature. Along with previous funding, Georgia has now allocated $266 million, fulfilling the state’s portion of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP). “Lawmakers across Georgia recognize that improving the Savannah Harbor is critically important to the continued economic health of this state and region,” Deal said.

Channel and water management will become increasingly important for freshwater supplies and trade in the years to come. The work and our vigilance must continue. The present conditions on the Lower Mississippi River find the deep-draft channel from Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico in good shape with no channel deficiencies or related transit restrictions. On the other hand, the Middle Mississippi from St. Louis to Cairo and especially around the areas with rock pinnacles at Thebes and Grand Tower both in Illinois have been areas of concern for much of the last two months.

The $50 million in additional port deepening funds proposed by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has been approved by the state legislature and now awaits the governor’s signature. Along with previous funding, Georgia has allocated $231.1 million toward the state’s portion of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP). Deepening the Savannah Harbor from 42 to 47 feet will accommodate an increase in the number of super-sized container vessels transiting the Panama Canal after its 2015 expansion. With a deeper channel, larger and more heavily laden ships can arrive and depart with greater scheduling flexibility. These “Post Panamax” vessels will mean lower shipping costs per container slot.

In a visit to the Port of Savannah, Panama’s Minister for Canal Affairs Roberto Roy described progress on the canal expansion and heard the latest news on deepening the Savannah Harbor to 47 feet. “With the historic expansion of the Panama Canal nearing completion, I applaud Georgia for making the improvement of its port infrastructure a fiscal priority,” said Roy, who also serves as Panama Canal Board Chairman. The Record of Decision, signifying final federal approval for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, was issued in October 2012.

Drought and ensuing low river levels continue to affect the inland industry. Low water between St. Louis and Cairo, Illinois has threatened traffic on the Mississippi River since December. For months, dredging operations have slowed vessels at points along the river's course. Since December, a stretch at Thebes, Illinois, has been shut for much of each day as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removes rock pinnacles. A panel of five executives weighed in on a host of topics regarding inland transportation as part of a round table discussion published in the February print edition of Marine News.

Gov. Nathan Deal has announced that as part of his FY2014 budget proposal, he will seek an additional $50 million in funding for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project at the Georgia Ports Authority Board meeting. “I am committed to allocating funds and time to this pivotal link in our logistics network,”said Deal. “Expanding the Savannah Harbor is vital to our renewed economic growth and plays an integral role in helping make our state the No. If approved, the proposal will increase state funding for the deepening project to $231.1 million. “Studies indicate that the port deepening will reduce shipping costs by at least $213 million a year,” said Georgia Ports Authority Board Chairman Robert Jepson. Overall, the cost of the project is anticipated to be $652 million.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis Foltz gathered Tuesday, October 25, for a panel discussion at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s third annual State of the Port event in Atlanta. The three leaders spoke about the ports’ impact on jobs and commerce, their importance to the Southeast’s economic future and the need to deepen the Port of Savannah. In FY2011 alone, more than 1,500 new port-related jobs and $295 million in investment were created in the Atlanta region, according to new figures released today by the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “Elected officials from both sides of the aisle and business leaders from all corners of the state understand the significance the ports have as an economic engine,” Gov.