Dredging is scheduled to begin October 3 to bring the federal Grays Harbor navigation channel to a deeper depth of -38 feet Mean Lower Low Water and remove accumulated sediments since the last maintenance dredging.
The purpose of the dredging is to improve deep-draft vessel navigation in the Grays Harbor channel by reducing tidal delays and tidally-related draft restrictions experienced by current Port tenants’ vessel traffic.
Deepening the navigation channel is intended to reduce navigation transportation costs for the existing and projected future traffic of deep-draft vessels, and improve efficiency and reliability of navigation to and from Grays Harbor.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, awarded a $27.1 million dredging contract to American Construction Company for combined deepening and maintenance dredging of the Grays Harbor Inner Harbor federal navigation channel.
“This deepening project is critical to our ability to serve our customers, our community and our country today and well into the future as the Port of Grays Harbor continues to provide a crucial link between U.S. growers and producers and international markets ,” explained Port of Grays Harbor Executive Director Gary Nelson.
“We value our partnerships with the Corps and our federal elected officials and thank them for all of their hard work on the project and their continued recognition and support of Grays Harbor as a port of national significance.”
Maintenance and deepening will include dredging approximately 3.5 million cubic yards of material. The contract contains three distinct work windows: October 1, 2016 – February 14, 2017; July 16, 2017 – February 14, 2018; and July 16 – September 30, 2018.
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