The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District has just released an update regarding the Newburyport dredging project.
According to the Corps, H&L Contracting LLC is subcontracting the remaining dredging of the 15 ft entrance channel to Norfolk Dredging.
The hydraulic cutterhead dredge DELAWARE that will be used for this project arrived on site Thursday, Mar. 23, and is expected to start dredging today, Mar. 28. The 2022-built dredge has a length of 285’, width of 65’, draft of 14’, and is equipped with two pumps.
H&L won the Newburyport Harbor maintenance dredging contract from the Army Corps back in 2022. The project consisted of hydraulically dredging approximately 226,000 cubic yards of material from the 9-ft MLLW inner channel and 15-ft MLLW entrance channel.
Dredging operations began October 2, 2022 and were originally scheduled to be completed by March 31, 2023. H&L received an extension through April 30, 2023 and engaged a subcontractor, Norfolk Dredging, to finish the project.
Currently, there are three dredges working on the project, the 20” dredge OYSTER BAY and the 16” dredge FINN, along with the additional dredge which was brought in by Norfolk Dredging last week.