Two major dredging contracts for GLDD

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD) has announced the receipt of two major dredging awards totaling $186.6 million.

The awarded work includes:

• Freeport Harbor Channel Improvement Project, Dredging Reaches 1, 2, and 4 (Capital, Texas, $157.4 million)
• Galveston Entrance Channel and Houston Ship Channel Dredging Project (Maintenance, Texas, $29.2 million)

The Freeport Harbor Channel Improvement Project entails deepening the channel to authorized depths of 51 to 56 feet, which will make Port of Freeport the deepest port in Texas. This channel is 7.5 miles and is currently the shortest channel on the Texas Gulf with direct access to the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway.

According to GLDD, this project will open the state to larger ships. The client on this project is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District and is federally funded.

Work is expected to commence in the second half of 2023 with estimated completion in the fourth quarter of 2025. This project is the third largest domestic award in Great Lakes’ history.

The Galveston Entrance Channel and Houston Ship Channel (Bolivar to Redfish) Dredging Project includes maintenance dredging to maintain associated channel depths.

The client on this project is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, and is federally funded.

Work is expected to commence in the second half of 2023 with estimated completion in the first quarter of 2024. This project also includes the beneficial use of dredged materials on Galveston Island.