Construction on the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ project to deepen and widen the Corpus Christi Ship Channel is underway, Callan Marine informs.
Awarded this past April, this project will provide an additional 130 feet of width and 7 feet of depth to the Lower Reaches of the channel.
Dredging requires removal of 12 million cubic yards of both maintenance and new work and will take an estimated year and a half to complete.
To accommodate the channel deepening, Callan has begun work rehabilitating and raising levees on the DMPA (Dredging Material Placement Area).
Additionally, multiple oil and gas pipelines will be decommissioned and removed along the channel.
The cutter suction dredge General MacArthur is expected to arrive in early 2021.
“We are extremely appreciative of the Army Corps of Engineers for acknowledging the strategic national importance of executing the Corpus Christi Ship Channel Improvement Project,” said Sean Strawbridge , Port of Corpus Christi Chief Executive Officer.
“As the largest export gateway for U.S. produced energy destined for global demand markets, a deeper and wider ship channel will solidify the competitiveness of American energy on the world stage.”
Estimated completion for this phase of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel Improvement Project is early 2022, with improvements to Ingleside by fourth quarter of 2021.