Dredge Ellis Island arrives in Emerald Isle (NC)

The largest hopper dredge in the United States, the Ellis Island has arrived in Emerald Isle (NC) to start work on the post-Florence Renourishment Project – Phase III.

According to the Carteret County, the Ellis Island arrived two days ago (3/16/2021) and pumped the first load to the beach at roughly 8 pm.

In recent weeks, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock’s dredge Liberty Island has been working solo on this project. But now, after the arrival of the Ellis Island, the work will move forward quickly and in multiple reaches.

Because she is the largest hopper dredge in the U.S., it takes little longer to fill and pump-out the Ellis Island; and thus her round trip cycle takes a little longer than the Liberty Island.

Regardless, each of the dredges now on site are using two separate submerged pipeline landings.

“The Liberty Island is using “Line 3” which emerges near Scotch Bonnet Drive – they are working west from this point and were at Santa Maria Drive. Meanwhile, the Ellis Island is using “Line 2″ just west of Bogue Inlet Pier – they are currently progressing west of this point towards Sound-of-the-Sea (the discharge was located near Mangrove Driver),” the County officials announced yesterday.

Lastly, they added that the crews are expecting bad weather and rough seas beginning today, Thursday afternoon, which will force a shut down of a day (or possibly more).