Of course, all the work in 2020 has fallen under the long shadow cast by the coronavirus. “Having project approval and funding lines established make those investments possible.” “The dredging industry investment in new equipment requires long-term commitments and significant capital,” he added. When federal and state governments and private sectors come together and invest in our ports and waterways, our economy expands and grows. “Capacity, funding and project approval: if any one of them is absent, then a project cannot get done,” Balzano said. Richard Balzano, the new CEO and executive director of the Dredging Contractors of America, said that, with the dredging industry and government agencies working in partnership, the nation as a whole is the beneficiary. fleet, and as I mentioned before, there is much more under construction.” “There has never been as much capacity and capability as there is currently in the U.S. fleet, with hopper capacity dramatically increasing, cutter horsepower dramatically increasing and clamshell dredge capacity and capability dramatically increasing,” Hanson said. “Since the newbuilds represent investments across the board on dredge types-hopper, cutters and clams-it is really almost a complete overhaul of the U.S. New construction dredge projects announced in 2020 include a 6,500-cubic-yard-capacity trailing suction hopper dredge to be built for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock at Conrad Industries’ Amelia, La., yard a 27-inch cutter suction dredge for Mike Hooks from Mobile Pulley Works a massive 15,000-cubic-yard-capacity hopper dredge for Manson Construction from Keppel AmFELS in Brownsville, Texas an 8,500-cubic-yard-capacity hopper dredge from Eastern Shipbuilding Group for Weeks Marine and a 28-inch cutterhead dredge for Callan Marine to be built at Hallmark Shipyard in Morgan City, La. “This will likely continue as long as the Corps and state folks can help make their programs more predictable and consistent,” he said. fleet over the past five years, with at least five more under construction. Hanson noted that 10 new dredges have entered the U.S. “We benefit from a more structured and well-funded approach in that we can better understand where the market is headed and make the appropriate investments in new equipment.” “With improved investments in ports, waterways and coastal projects, our clients can gear up their staffs and programs,” Hanson said. dredge fleet, said Bill Hanson, vice president of government relations for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company. Those long-term investments in the nation’s waterways and coastal regions have led to historic investment in the future of the U.S. That, along with projects planned or progressing at the Houston Ship Channel and the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, will mean years’ worth of channel-deepening work for Gulf Coast ports, along with routine operations and maintenance.Ĭoncurrent with the channel deepening announcements in 2020, states along the Gulf Coast also rolled out hundreds of millions of dollars in coastal restoration projects last year. Stephen Murphy, commander of the New Orleans Engineer District, gathered at the New Orleans District’s headquarters to sign the partnership agreement for the Mississippi River deepening.įunding for those two projects, which are now underway, totals more than $600 million. Dianna Holland, commander of the Corps’ Mississippi Valley Division and Col. John Bel Edwards Renee Lapeyrolerie, multimodal commissioner for the state Maj. ![]() Sebastien Joly, and John Driscoll, CEO of the Alabama State Port Authority, signed the project partnership agreement for the Mobile Harbor deepening in June. The Mobile Engineer District’s commander, Col. ![]() The work plan, remarkably, included both funding for the first phase of deepening the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge, La., to the Gulf of Mexico to 50 feet and more than $274 million to fully fund the construction of the Mobile Harbor channel deepening project in Alabama, which will also bring that channel to 50 feet. Army Corps of Engineers’ 2020 work plan, released February 10. The waterway deepening news started early in the year, with the U.S. While COVID-19 proved the dominant newsmaker for much of 2020, a steady stream of dredging and waterway announcements during the year will, hopefully, have a much more enduring-and endearing-impact on the maritime industry.
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