The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District has just announced that seasonal dredging of the Port of Alaska began earlier this week.
According to the Corps, dredging of the waterway commenced on April 1 where hopper dredge Westport is addressing heavy shoaling at the fuel docks and Terminal 3.
Since the 1960s, the district has operated a dredge at the Port of Alaska to keep Cook Inlet safe for navigation by clearing built-up sediments on the seafloor that prevent large ships from coming through.
This year’s vessel, the Westport, a 2,000-cubic-yard hopper dredge operated by Manson Construction, will clear up to 1.1 million cubic yards of material to assist the estimated 2,400 to 2,600 cargo containers that arrive at the port each week to keep stores supplied with consumer goods.
Over the last decade and a half, Manson has worked at Anchorage Harbor and the Port of Alaska (POA) performing dredging services for USACE and maintaining the seafloor to the congressionally approved depth of -35 feet.