Massey’s Ditch dredging $800,000 over bid amount

According to state officials the Massey’s Ditch dredging project is expected to be completed soon, but at a cost approximately 20 percent higher than the original base bid.

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control awarded the $3.6 million contract for removing 100,000 cubic yards of sand from the heavily used waterway to to Wisconsin-based contractor J.F. Brennan Company Inc. The contract calls for the material to be pumped to the Atlantic Ocean beach north of Indian River Inlet.

Work on the project began the first week of January. At the time, Michael Powell, DNREC Shoreline & Waterway Management Section administrator, said more sand would be dredged than previously projected. The contracted rate for the excess sand is $25 per cubic yard, he said.

In an email Feb. 13, Powell said approximately 33,000 cubic yards of additional material above the 100,000 will be pumped to the beach. He said 103,000 cubic yards had been pumped as of Feb. 11.

Powell said DNREC used the 100,000 cubic yards for the purposes of establishing a base bid amount. It was known from the outset that completion of the project was likely to result in a larger volume of dredged material, he said, adding the expected completion date of the dredging project is Sunday, Feb. 23.

In addition to the Massey’s Ditch sand, the beach north of the inlet has also received sand from the bypass system that pumps sand from the beach south of the inlet to the beach north of the inlet.

Powell said the sand bypass system has been in operation for a significant part of the fall and winter, estimating 32,000 cubic yards of sand have been moved to the northside beach.