USA: Dredging of Houston Ship Channel Barge Lanes Wrapped Up

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District completed maintenance dredging of the Houston Ship Channel barge lanes between Bayport and Morgan’s Point to relieve a critical navigation hazard caused by shoaling in the busy waterway.

The district issued a modification to an ongoing contract in the amount of $675,000 to Orion Marine Construction Inc. to complete the work.

“Corps crews performed a hydrographic survey within the reach and determined that the 12-feet channel was restricted to approximately 7-feet, following a report from the U.S. Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic Service that two barges touched bottom within the authorized barge lanes,” said USACE Galveston District Navigation Branch Chief Christopher Frabotta. “The USACE Galveston District modified the existing Bayport Main Channel and Turning Basin contract to include urgent and compelling maintenance dredging within this reach in order to fulfill its important mission of keeping America’s waterways open for navigation and commerce.”

The initial contract was awarded in December 2012 to Orion Marine Construction Inc. in the amount of $2,988,900 for maintenance dredging of the Bayport Ship Channel in Chambers and Harris counties, Texas, to remove approximately 500,000 cubic yards of material using a hydraulic pipeline dredge with a scheduled completion of May 2013.

The USACE Galveston District was established in 1880 as the first engineer district in Texas to oversee river and harbor improvements. The district is directly responsible for maintaining more than 1,000 miles of channel, including 270 miles of deep draft and 750 miles of shallow draft as well as the Colorado River Locks and Brazos River Floodgates.

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Press Release, April 23, 2013