Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, USACE Alaska District commander, attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Dutch Harbor Channels Project in the community of Unalaska last week.
He joined Vincent Tutiakoff, mayor of Unalaska, Bil Homka, city manager, and members of the City Council to celebrate the critical milestone at the harbor.
Before work at this project began, a bar shallower than the surrounding seabed at the entrance to Iliuliuk Bay limited access to Dutch Harbor.
To execute the project, USACE contractor J.E. McAmis Inc. dredged a 600-by-600 foot channel through the bar to a depth of minus 58 feet, completing work 54 days ahead of schedule.
According to USACE, this advancement will improve economic efficiency, enable greater freedom of movement for vessels in the area and ensure safer navigational transit in and around Dutch Harbor.