The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues working on the historic project to deepen the Mississippi River Ship Channel (MRSC) to 50 feet. The USACE continues dredging to restore full channel dimensions (45 feet by 500 feet) of the MRSC on the Crossings Above New Orleans with the dustpan dredge WALLACE McGEORGE.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER SHIP CHANNEL DEEPENING PHASE 1:
The three cutterhead dredges listed below continue dredging on their contractual deepening assignments for Phase 1 of the Ship Channel deepening. The USACE intends to deepen the Ship Channel from Venice to the Gulf of Mexico (Phase 1) with a total of three dredge contracts, specifically the two cutterhead dredge contracts detailed below and one for the hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS (Manson Construction). The GLENN EDWARDS schedule has been adjusted and it is expected to start work on the deepening contract in mid-January (2021).
Weeks Marine was awarded Southwest Pass Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract #1-2020 on September 3, 2020 and is presently responding to this contract with the cutterhead dredges CAPTAIN FRANK and E.W. ELLEFSEN.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGES WORKING IN SOUTHWEST PASS:
E.W. ELLEFSEN: The E.W. ELLEFSEN (Weeks Marine) is presently working at Mile 3.6 Below Head of Passes (BHP) dredging on assignment from Mile 1.0 BHP to Mile 6.0 BHP on the western side of the Ship Channel.
CAPTAIN FRANK: The industry cutterhead dredge CAPTAIN FRANK (Weeks Marine) officially commenced the historic project to deepen the Mississippi River Ship Channel to 50 feet on September 11, 2020. The CAPTAIN FRANK is dredging at Mile 16.14 BHP working on assignment from Mile 14.4 BHP to Mile 18 BHP on the eastern side of the Ship Channel.
ROBERT M. WHITE: The ROBERT M. WHITE (Manson Construction) is dredging at Mile 14.08 BHP on assignment from Mile 9.0 BHP to Mile 15.0 BHP on the western side of the channel. The cutterhead is working under Southwest Pass Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract #2-2020 that was awarded to Manson Construction on September 8, 2020.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN THE HOPPER DREDGE DISPOSAL AREA (HDDA):
ILLINOIS: Great Lakes Dredge and Dock was awarded Hopper Dredge Disposal Area Cutterhead Rental Contract #1-2019. Great Lakes intends to respond to this contract with their cutterhead dredge ILLINOIS. This contract will require the installation of a submerged dredge pipeline to place the removed dredge material in the West Bay Receiving Area. The placement of the submerged pipeline will require two daytime closure(s) of the Ship Channel estimated to last 12-hours each. The pipeline will cross the Ship Channel between Mile 1.4 AHP to Mile 1.2 AHP from the eastern side of the channel into the West Bay. The contract includes the removal of 10 million cubic yards (mcy) in the base with options to add an additional 4 mcy. The pipeline placement and closures are now expected to be conducted by mid-January (2021), details on the scheduled closure dates should be available next week.
DUSTPAN DREDGE(S) ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
The USACE continues working to restore full channel dimensions (45 feet by 500 feet) of the Ship Channel on the Crossings Above New Orleans with the dustpan dredge WALLACE McGEORGE. The dredging on the Crossings for Fiscal Year 2020 is expected to complete soon.
WALLACE McGEORGE: The industry dustpan dredge WALLACE McGEORGE commenced dredging on the last assignment of the year near the Arlington Lights (Mile 226.5 AHP) this morning. The WALLACE McGEORGE commenced dredging on the Crossings on Thursday, May 21, 2020.
The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 0900 hours today was 4.58 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.13 feet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Carrollton Gauge issued today predicts stages slowly rising to 5.8 feet before beginning a slow fall to 4.3 feet on January 26, 2021.
The Baton Rouge Gauge reading at 0900 hours today was 16.72 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.15 feet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Baton Rouge Gauge issued today predicts stages rising to 19.1 feet before beginning a slow fall to 14.7 feet on January 26, 2021.
