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New Orleans District News

26 Jan 2024

Orion Joins Dredging Contractors of America

(Photo: Chip Worley / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

Houston based dredging and marine construction contractor Orion Group Holdings – Marine Group has become a member of trade group the Dredging Contractors of America (DCA).Orion has a near 100-year legacy and today ranks among market leaders in the provision of dredging services to keep waterways serviceable and to expand ports and other marine infrastructure throughout the United States, territories and Caribbean. The company works to create beneficial marsh habitats, dredging…

28 Dec 2023

Great Lakes Bags $173.7 Million in New Dredging Contracts

File photo: Great Lakes' hopper dredge Padre Island in Galveston Channel in August 2023. (Credit: Luke Waack / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation on Thursday announced the receipt of five dredging contracts totaling $173.7 million. The projects are in Texas, New Jersey, Florida and Louisiana.The Sabine-Neches Waterway Channel Improvement Project-Phase 1 (Capital, Texas, $62.8 million) includes dredging for channel deepening along the Sabine-Neches Waterway from Sabine Bank Channel to Sabine Pass Channel. The construction of the Sabine-Neches Waterway will generate widespread economic benefits for Southeast Texas…

25 Sep 2023

USACE Working to Prevent Saltwater from Rising Up the Mississippi

Col. Cullen Jones, USACE New Orleans District commander, briefs media Sept. 15, 2023, on current steps the Corps plans to take to augment the existing underwater sill constructed by USACE in the Mississippi River to help slow progression of the saltwater wedge moving upriver from the Gulf of Mexico. (Photo: Ryan Labadens / U.S. Army)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District is working to delay upriver progression of salt water from the Gulf of Mexico by augmenting the sill initially constructed in July 2023.Construction is underway to increase the existing underwater sill from a depth of -55 feet to a depth of -30 feet. A 620-foot-wide navigation lane will be kept to a depth of -55 feet to ensure deep-draft shipping continues along the nation’s busiest inland waterway.USACE initially constructed…

18 Aug 2023

Great Lakes Awarded Lower Miss Dredging Contract

© Bryan / Adobe Stock

Houston-based dredging contractor Great Lakes Dredge & Dock has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' New Orleans District for Mississippi River dredging in Plaquemines, La.Great Lakes was one of two bidders for the project, winning the contract with a bid of $22.1 million.Work is expected to wrap up by December 17, 2023.

22 Jun 2023

Corps Launches Lower Miss 'Mega-study'

© Aneese / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is kicking off a five-year, $25 million "mega-study" with the goal to help guide effective and practical management of the Lower Mississippi River.The Corps said the the study will help it to identify recommendations for the comprehensive management of the region across multiple purposes, including hurricane and storm damage reduction, flood risk management, structure and nonstructural flood control, floodplain management strategies, navigation…

28 Nov 2022

Marine News' Top Vessels of 2022

Mark W. Barker (Photo: Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding)

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted the most notable newbuilds delivered in 2022. From sturdy and nimble workboats, to the first new Jones Act laker in a generation, each vessel on display showcases the industry’s engineering prowess and technological ingenuity, with the focus on improving efficiency in operations. The maritime industry has no shortage of challenges to overcome, and each of Marine News’ top vessels will, in one way or another, aid efforts to tackle them.Mark W.

12 Oct 2022

Great Lakes Announced $143.5 Million in Dredging Contracts

(Photo: Great Lakes Dredge & Dock)

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation, the largest provider of dredging services in the United States, on Wednesday announced the receipt of several major dredging awards totaling $143.5 million with open options pending award of $102.9 million.The awarded work includes:South Atlantic Division Regional Harbor Dredging 2023 Project (Maintenance, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, $26.6 million)Fire Island Inlet to Montauk Point, Contract 2 Project (Coastal Protection, New York…

12 Oct 2022

Corps Building Underwater Sill to Halt Saltwater Intrusion in Mississippi River

© Tiago Fernandez / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District began construction of an underwater sill October 11, 2022, across the bed of the Mississippi River channel to prevent further upriver progression of salt water from the Gulf of Mexico.The Mississippi River’s volume of water has fallen to a level that allows salt water to intrude upstream. Saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico moves upriver in a wedge shape that may stretch up approximately 20 miles from the bottom to the surface of the river.To stop the salt water from moving upriver and reduce the risk to freshwater intakes…

10 Aug 2022

Silver Ships Delivers Survey Vessel to US Army Corps of Engineers

(Photo: Silver Ships)

Alabama shipbuilder Silver Ships announced it has delivered a new marine surveying vessel for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Venice Sub Office in Venice, La. The 49-foot Tobin is the latest expansion in Silver Ships’ Endeavor series of workboats and is the largest marine surveying vessel of its series.Custom designed for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to hydrographically map the mouth of the Mississippi River, the mission-specific vessel will allow researchers to accurately and effectively obtain and document data on the rapidly changing waters in the Mississippi River.

19 Jan 2022

Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico Project Moves Forward

(Photo: USACE)

On January 18, 2022, federal, state, and local officials gathered to mark the signing of a Project Partnering Agreement for the Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico project that was executed on December 28, 2021 to kick-off federal-led construction for the project.The Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico project aims to provide risk reduction for people and property as well as the remaining fragile marsh from hurricane storm surge in the vicinity of Houma, Louisiana. It received $12.46 million funding from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to develop and execute a Project Partnership Agreement…

14 Sep 2020

Mississippi River Ship Channel Deepening Begins

(Photo: Big River Coalition)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) officially kicked off the project to deepen of the Mississippi River Ship Channel to 50 feet Friday, as Weeks Marine’s cutterhead dredge Captain Frank started dredging 5 miles above the Head of Passes.The USACE awarded this first contract for the Ship Channel deepening to Weeks Marine on September 3, 2020, and the Captain Frank started the deepening Friday. The USACE awarded the second cutterhead dredge contract to Manson Construction on September 8, 2020. Manson’s cutterhead, the Robert M. White, is expected to begin deepening in late September.

03 Aug 2020

Lower Mississippi River to be Deepened to 50 Feet

Pictured from left to right are Major General Diana Holland, Commanding General, Mississippi River Valley Division; Gov. John Bel Edwards and Col. Stephen Murphy, Commander, New Orleans District signing the PPA. (Photo: LADOTD)

The ports at Baton Rouge, New Orleans, South Louisiana, St. Bernard and Plaquemines are slated to have deep draft access after Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and other state officials signed a formal agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Friday to begin construction on the deepening of the Lower Mississippi River to 50 feet from 45 feet. The overall project will provide a draft of 50-feet from the Port of Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico over 256 miles of the Mississippi River.

02 Apr 2018

BSEE Inspects New Shell Appomattox Platform

Photo: BSEE

As Shell finishes construction on its Appomattox Semi-Submersible Platform hull, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement engineers and inspectors signed off on several topsides components during a pre-production inspection March 27, 2018. Royal Dutch Shell plc, 79 percent owner and its partner, Nexen Petroleum Offshore U.S. A. Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of CNOOC ltd, will operate the platform about 80 miles off Louisiana’s coast in the Mississippi Canyon. “The Appomattox will be Shell’s largest floating platform in the Gulf of Mexico…

14 Sep 2015

Silver Ships Delivers Survey Vessel to USACE

Photo: Silver Ships

Silver Ships delivered a 48-ft. Endeavor Survey boat to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District. The vessel will be tasked with surveying the waters in both the Gulf of Mexico and rivers of the New Orleans District. The all-welded aluminum vessel is designed and engineered by Naval Architect Lou Codega, PE of Smithfield, VA and features a hull form designed to handle the short choppy seas of the Gulf Coast regions. The vessel is powered by twin Caterpillar C18 diesel engines at 803 hp each coupled to Twin Disc v-drive gears.

26 Jun 2014

US Dredging Needs Growth as Army Corps’ Budget Shrinks

USACE photo: NY/NJ Harbor dredging action.

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.

27 Jun 2012

DREDGE Act of 2012 Introduced

New Legislation Aimed at Building Wetlands while Deepening Mississippi River in anticipation of Panama Canal Expansion completion. Congressman Cedric Richmond ha introduced the DREDGE Act of 2012-Dredging for Restoration and Economic Development for Global Exports. The bill would give the Army Corps of Engineers the authorization to dredge the Mississippi River to 50 feet so that larger vessels transiting the expanded Panama Canal can access the River. In addition, the bill creates a pilot project to promote the rebuilding of wetlands using existing sediment dredged from the River. “The Mississippi River is undoubtedly the most important river in the United States,” said Congressman Richmond.

26 Jun 2012

Industry Looks to RAMP Act to Meet Dredging Needs

hopper dredge McFarland dredging Southwest Pass in 2010.

Silt accumulation and dredging that's been postponed for years have prevented the full use of U.S. waterways and ports, maritime industry leaders said last month. Hundreds of U.S. ports and harbors are meant to be maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to foster navigation. But many of the country's channels are not kept at their authorized depths, and last year the backlog of needed dredging projects swelled. Meanwhile, just over half the fees charged to shippers through the federal Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund are spent on maintenance and operations…

03 Feb 2012

Signal Wins USACE Dredge Repair Contract

Signal Ship Repair Wins Bid to Repair U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hopper Dredge WHEELER. Signal Ship Repair (SSR), a division of Signal International, Inc., competitively bid and won a contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repair and repower the Hopper Dredge WHEELER. SSR will provide engineering and marine services to perform engine replacement, auxiliary systems modifications, repair work, and testing of the Dredge WHEELER for the Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District. The eleven-month project will commence in February with phase one pre-planning, engineering, and scheduling portion. The second phase begins in July with the Dredge WHEELER on the SSR drydock for capital improvements…

04 Jan 2010

New USACE Contracts

Zachry Construction Corp., San Antonio, Texas, was awarded on Dec. 21, 2009, a $22,376,777 firm-fixed-price contract for construct channel improvement, mission reach, Phase 2a. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 10, 2011. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web with six bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-10-C-0007). Weeks Marine, Inc., Covington, La., was awarded on Dec. 21, 2009, a $7,908,571 firm-fixed-fee contract. This contract is for the passes of the Mississippi River, Southwest Pass maintenance dredge, cutterhead or dredge rental contract No. 1-2009, mile 5.0 AHP to 19.5 BHP, C/L Sta. 2925+20 to C/L Sta., Plaquemines Parish, La.

11 Dec 2009

New USACE Contract

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., LLC, Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded on Dec. 08, 2009, a $8,691,280 firm-fixed-price contract. The work consists of furnishing one fully crewed and equipped self-propelled trailing suction-type hopper dredge on a rental basis.  Work is to be performed at the Mississippi River Southwest Pass areas and possibly other areas of the New Orleans district and in areas of both the Galveston and Mobile Districts, with an estimated completion date of June 11, 2010.  Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with one bid received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (W912P8-10-C-0022).

23 Aug 2009

New USACE Contract

Weeks Marine, Inc., Covington, La., was awarded on Aug. 14, 2009 a $14,877,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Atchafalaya River and Bayous Chene, Boeuf, and black, Atchafalaya Bar Channel, Maintenance Dredging C/L Sta. 475+00, Non-Continuous (09-2), St. Mary Parish, La.  Work is to be performed in St. Mary Parish, La., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 12, 2009.  Bids were solicited using the World Wide Web with two bids received.  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, New Orleans, La. is the contracting activity (W912P8-09-C-0103).

23 Jul 2009

New USACE Contracts

RLB Contracting, Inc, Port Lavaca, Texas was awarded on July, 17, 2009 a $ 9,670,148 firm-fixed-price contract to Freeport Harbor, Texas, Inner Harbor and turning basin in Brazoria County, Texas, Levee construction and dredging. The work consist of raising dredged placement levee by truck haul, replacing drop-outlets structures, dredging of material and depositing it in a placement are. Work is to be performed on Freeport, Brazoria County, Texas with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2010. Twenty bids were solicited with five bids received. USA Engineer District, Galveston, Texas is the contracting activity (W912HY-09-C-0014).

17 Jul 2009

New U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Contract

Weeks Marine Inc, Covington, LA. was awarded on July 14, 2009 a $6,169,751 firm-fixed-price for the construction Dredging, Mississippi River, New Orleans Harbor Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract No. 01-2009, Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, LA.  Work is to be performed in New Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, LA. with an estimated completion date of Nov. 22, 2009. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with three bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, New Orleans, LA. is the contracting activity (W912P8-09-C-0076).

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