USACE awards dredging contracts worth $157 million

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers yesterday reported the award of dredging contracts to Galveston, Texas-based Callan Marine and Houston-headquartered Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co.

The larger of the two awards saw the Galveston Engineer District award Callan Marine Limited, a $104,974,200 firm-fixed-price dredgingcontract for Brazos Island Harbor channel deepening. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. The work will be performed in Brownsville, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 28, 2026.

EXTREME WEATHER

The other award saw the New York Engineer District award Great Lakes Dredge and Dock a $51,994,150 firm-fixed-price contract for Fire Island Inlet dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Bay Shore, N.Y., with an estimated completion date of March 30, 2025.

According to the New York District, the award is for emergency repairs to a damaged federal coastal storm risk management project on Fire Island.

Extreme weather events, including Hurricane Lee and Tropical Storm Ophelia in September 2023, followed by significant coastal storms in November and December 2023, and January 2024, eroded large sections of beach berm and dunes that are part of the Fire Island to Moriches Inlet project. This erosion caused damage to infrastructure and properties on Fire Island, from the Ocean Park community east to Davis Park.

EXTRAORDINARY EVENT

In response, the State of New York, through the Department of Environmental Conservation, requested that USACE seek authority under Public Law 84-99 to secure full federal funding for the repairs. Following a comprehensive assessment by USACE, which included the impacts of a major storm on January 9, 2024, it was determined that the combination of impacts from the storms met the “extraordinary” event threshold. Consequently, PL 84-99 funds were considered for the repair work.

Less than 30 days after submitting detailed information, including shoreline and offshore surveys, environmental documentation, and non-federal sponsor support for permitting, the request for use of PL 84-99 authority was approved, along with the required funding to perform the repair activities.