Posted on October 14, 2024
BALTIMORE — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, awarded a $39.9 million contract to Seacoast Marine Construction Inc., of Long Island, New York, for restoration work at Barren Island, part of the Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island Ecosystem Restoration project in Dorchester County, Maryland.
The contract award ushers in the second phase of Mid-Bay restoration work on Barren Island including construction of two bird islands adjacent to the existing island and connected to the breakwater; construction of stone sill structures; design and installation of spillway structures; and excavation of material from the Honga & Tar Bay federal navigation channels and placement within a contained area adjacent to Barren Island.
Approximately 335,000 cubic yards of material consisting of mud, sand, silt, shell and combinations thereof will be removed via hydraulic dredge from the Honga River channel to its authorized depth of seven feet and a width ranging from 60-140 feet.
“We are proud to announce this contract award that will provide vital maintenance of the Honga and Tar Bay channels, serve and strengthen the region, energize the economy, and reduce navigation safety risks,” said Baltimore District Commander Col. Frank Pera. “Our continued partnership with the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Port Administration on Mid-Bay will build on innovative and proven solutions that benefit the Chesapeake Bay’s ecosystem for generations to come.”
The Mid-Bay project, in partnership with MDOT MPA, includes restoration of 2,072 acres of lost remote island habitat on James Island and 72 acres of remote island habitat on Barren Island, using material dredged from the Port of Baltimore approach channels and shallow draft federal navigation channels, respectively. Habitat may include mudflats, low marsh, high marsh, islands, ponds, channels, and upland areas.
“We are happy to be working with our great partners at the Army Corps of Engineers on this exciting Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island coastal restoration project,” said MPA Executive Director Jonathan Daniels. “Mid-Bay will provide us with 30 years of placement capacity, allowing us to continue safely and responsibly dredging our channels to allow for ultra-large ships to continue serving the Port of Baltimore while also rebuilding two barrier islands, enhancing wildlife habitat, and creating additional shoreline protection for Dorchester County.”
Barren Island is anticipated to begin acceptance of Honga River dredged material in late 2025 or early 2026, with James Island accepting dredged material around 2030, after sill and dike construction efforts to hold the material are completed at each location. The Honga River channel was last dredged by USACE in 2009.
“Barren Island, like all of Mid-Bay’s tidal wetlands, is a vital part of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and has a huge impact on the sustainability of the region. The Army Corps is taking decisive steps to rebuild the fast-disappearing James and Barren islands, restore habitats for wildlife and fish, and shore up coastal resilience for local communities,” said U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (Md.). “This project has been one of my top priorities for nearly two decades. It’s exciting to see another major step forward in the ongoing effort to protect Maryland’s shorelines from impacts of climate change and support a healthier Bay for decades to come.”
USACE received more than $80 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2022 to complete the design and preconstruction activities for the Barren Island component of this project, to include the first construction contract award. The Mid-Bay project is anticipated to be completed in 2067 – providing more than 30 years of capacity to place nearly 95 million cubic yards of dredged material.
“Maintaining Maryland’s waterways is essential to our state’s economic success and environmental health. That’s why we fought for major investments in the Mid-Bay Ecosystem Restoration Project through the infrastructure modernization law,” said U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (Md.). “This nearly $40 million contract is an important piece of the decades-long Mid-Bay project – it will both improve safety along shipping routes to and from the Port of Baltimore and help rehabilitate natural habitat for Chesapeake Bay fish and wildlife.”
Poplar Island, the ongoing ecosystem restoration project by USACE and MDOT MPA, wrapped up construction of an expansion effort in January 2021 that provides substantial ecosystem benefits and additional dredge material capacity for the approach channels to the Port of Baltimore until 2032.
Additional information on Mid-Bay can be found on the Baltimore District website at https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Mid-Bay/.
Additional Information
Baltimore District delivers vital engineering solutions in collaboration with its partners to serve and strengthen the Nation, energize the economy, and reduce disaster risks. Headquartered near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, Baltimore District provides design, engineering, construction, environmental, and real estate expertise to various important projects and customers. This support spans five states, the District of Columbia, overseas, and the Susquehanna, Potomac, and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. These civil and military missions and diverse engineering services support communities and warfighters while addressing the ever-growing list of emerging national security requirements and ultimately protecting the Nation.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, Deputy District Commander Lt. Col. Mark Pollak provides remarks at a press event marking the commencement of work on the second phase of the Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island Ecosystem Restoration Project, or Mid-Bay, Oct. 10, 2024.
