Posted on May 5, 2023
BALTIMORE — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, has awarded a $23.9 million contract to Cashman Dredging & Marine Contracting Co. LLC, out of Quincy, Massachusetts, for Baltimore Harbor and channels maintenance dredging for Fiscal Year 2023.
In coordination with the Maryland Department of Transportation, Port Administration, the project consists of dredging approximately 1.5 million cubic yards of material from four channels in Maryland associated with the Baltimore Harbor, ensuring continued safe navigation for vessels going in and out of the Port of Baltimore.
“We are proud to announce this contract award as Baltimore Harbor channels rely on maintenance to serve and strengthen the region and the nation, energize the economy, and reduce navigation safety risks,” said Baltimore District Commander Col. Estee Pinchasin. “We are honored to work with the Port Administration on this effort as many diverse commodities import and export from the Port of Baltimore on a daily basis to accommodate some of the world’s largest ships.”
The amount of material being removed would cover the field at M&T Bank Stadium, goalpost to goalpost. All dredged material will be removed via clamshell dredge and transported by barge to the respective placement sites. The material being removed consists primarily of mud, silt, sand, shell, and mixtures thereof.
Approximately 1.1 million cubic yards of material dredged from Brewerton Angle, Tolchester Channel, Brewerton Channel Eastern Extension and Craighill Angle will be beneficially reused at the Paul S. Sarbanes Ecosystems Restoration Project at Poplar Island located on the eastern side of the Chesapeake Bay. In addition, approximately 350,000 cubic yards of material dredged from the Baltimore Harbor approach channels will be placed at the Cox Creek Dredged Material Containment Facility.
The following channels used by large container ships traveling to and from Port of Baltimore facilities will be dredged to their respective authorized dimensions, plus allowable over depth of 1 foot:
- Brewerton Angle to a depth of 51 feet and width ranging from 700 to 1,400 feet (roughly 330,000 cubic yards)
- Tolchester Channel to a depth of 36 feet and width of 600 feet (roughly 660,000 cubic yards)
- Brewerton Channel Eastern Extension to a depth of 36 feet and width of 600 feet (roughly 240,000 cubic yards)
- Craighill Angle (Maryland) to a depth of 36 feet and width ranging from 700 to 2,200 feet (roughly 220,000 cubic yards)
Maintenance dredging of the Maryland channels is expected to begin in late spring, with an estimated completion date of fall 2023. Cashman Dredging & Marine Contracting Co. will notify the U.S. Coast Guard 2 weeks before the start of dredging operations to be published in the Local Notice to Mariners.
