U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awards Illinois firm $4.6 million contract to dredge the East Rockaway, N.Y. inlet.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), New York District, has awarded a contract for $4.6 million to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co., (GLDD) Oak Brook, Ill., for the maintenance dredging of the East Rockaway inlet federal navigation channel with dredged sand being placed along eroded areas of New York’s Rockaway Beach.
The USACE estimates that between 250,000 and 300,000 cubic yards of sand are expected to be removed with the location of sand placement along eroded portions of Rockaway Beach being coordinated with New York City’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
The USACE says sand placed along eroded beaches can provide coastal storm damage risk reduction benefits for local communities.
The maintenance dredging will restore authorized dimensions to help ensure continued safe navigation in the channel, which has a five-year average annual commercial tonnage of 357,361 tons. Major commodities transported through the channel include petroleum and petroleum products.
The most recent maintenance dredging in the channel overseen by the USACE was conducted in spring 2010 when about 127,000 cubic yards of sand was removed and placed along eroded portions of Rockaway Beach. That project also operated in close coordination with NYC’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
“The Army Corps of Engineers is committed to perform important maintenance dredging in this dynamic inlet that has experienced groundings of fuel tankers over the past decade,” Joe Olha, New York District project manager, says. “Helping to provide safe navigation through this channel also provides local communities with a source of sand for placement on severely eroded areas of Rockaway Beach.”
The dredging is scheduled to begin in October and should be completed by the end of the year.