The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District awarded a contract to Orion Marine Construction Inc., in the amount of $8,927,250 for maintenance dredging of the Houston Ship Channel.
The contractor is required to remove approximately two million cubic yards of material between Morgan’s Point and the Exxon Reach to include the Barbours Terminal Channel and non-federal berthing areas using a hydraulic pipeline dredge beginning in May with a scheduled completion of November 2013.
“This dredge work allows the Corps to fulfill its mission of providing safe and navigable waterways for vessels importing and exporting goods to and from the Port of Houston,” said Tricia Campbell, an operations manager with the USACE Galveston District. “ All dredge material from this contract will be placed in the Spilman Placement Area. ”
According to Campbell, the Port of Houston ranks first in the nation in foreign waterborne tonnage; first in U.S. imports; and second in the nation with respect to foreign and domestic tonnage.
The USACE Galveston District was established in 1880 as the first engineer district in Texas to oversee river and harbor improvements. The district is directly responsible for maintaining more than 1,000 miles of channel, including 250 miles of deep draft and 750 miles of shallow draft as well as the Colorado River Locks and Brazos River Floodgates.
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Press Release, May 7, 2013