The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, awards a $1.7 million contract to Luedtke Engineering Co., Frankfort, Mich., for dredging of Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay.
“ The Saginaw River is an important passage for marine cargo including cement, coal, limestone, salt, potash and grain – products that help fuel the local economy and support jobs ,” said Lt. Col. Robert Ells, district engineer . “ The Detroit District is pleased to award this dredging contract, which will help ensure that marine commerce keeps moving in and out of the Saginaw region in an environmentally friendly manner .”
Luedtke will dredge a total of 203,470 cubic yards from two portions of the river. This includes 153,470 cubic yards of material to be dredged between the Independence Bridge in northern Bay City and the mouth of the river about three miles away. The contractor will deposit the dredged material in the Saginaw Bay Confined Disposal Facility, CDF, located two miles out in the bay. The firm will dredge an additional 50,000 cubic yards of material upstream in eastern Saginaw County, to be deposited in the Upper Saginaw River Dredged Material Disposal Facility, DMDF, which straddles the Bay-Saginaw county line. The dredging is slated to begin in early May and wrap up by late June.
The contract was awarded under the Corps’ Multiple Award Task Order Contract, MATOC, which the Detroit District established with 10 companies capable of dredging in the Great Lakes. The MATOC is designed to provide greater flexibility and expedite the bid solicitation-award process for dredging in Great Lakes commercial shipping channels and harbors.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, maintains a navigation system of 91 harbors and four connecting channels, including the channels joining lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and Erie.
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Press Release, April 17, 2013; Image: saginawriverimages