Governor Dannel P. Malloy and State Senator Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and announced that phase three of the dredging of Norwalk Harbor will soon begin, following the approval of state funds last week.
“ Norwalk Harbor is a defining characteristic of our city. It is used both for recreation and for commerce, including shell fishing, all of which makes the harbor a core component of our local economy. Maintaining it is essential ,” Senator Duff said. “ I thank Governor Malloy for being so supportive of this effort. The entire Norwalk delegation and Congressman Jim Himes have been fighting for years to see this dredging completed, and no one more so than the members of the Norwalk Harbor Management Commission. It is great to see this final phase get under way .”
“ This is an important project that will boost the productivity of the harbor and strengthen Connecticut’s economic competitiveness, ” said Governor Malloy. “I applaud Senator Duff for his work and advocacy on this issue—it will certainly bolster our efforts to return our ports to the thriving centers of commerce they once were.”
The State Bond Commission approved $1.75 million for the dredging of Norwalk Harbor at its March meeting. 150,000 cubic yards of sediment will be removed from the harbor to restore it to Federal Navigation Project Congressionally authorized dimensions, and 106 jobs will be supported in the process. Work is expected to begin this October.
This effort represents the third of three total phases of work to complete a full dredging of Norwalk Harbor. Phase one was completed in 2005 and phase two was completed in 2009.
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Press Release, March 22, 2013