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 completed dredging to restore full channel dimensions (45 feet by 500 feet) on the Crossings Above New Orleans for Fiscal Year 2020.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER SHIP CHANNEL DEEPENING PHASE 1:
The three cutterhead dredges and the hopper dredge 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 will complete the final portions of the Ship Channel deepening project and is also under contract for Fiscal Year 2021 channel maintenance and will be moved between the two contracts by the MVN dependent upon channel conditions.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGES WORKING ON DEEPENING IN SOUTHWEST PASS:
E.W. ELLEFSEN: The industry cutterhead dredge E.W. ELLEFSEN (Weeks Marine) is presently working at Mile 5.35 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 13.19 BHP working on assignment from Mile 13 BHP to Mile 18 BHP on the eastern side of the Ship Channel. The CAPTAIN FRANK previously completed the reach from Mile 15 BHP to Mile 18 BHP.
Weeks Marine continues responding to Southwest Pass Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract #1-2020 with the two cutterhead dredges listed above.
ROBERT M. WHITE: The ROBERT M. WHITE (Manson Construction) is dredging at Mile 16.32 BHP on an extended assignment from Mile 9.0 BHP to Mile 18.0 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.
HOPPER DREDGES WORKING ON DEEPENING IN SOUTHWEST PASS:
GLENN EDWARDS: The industry hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS (Manson Construction) arrived in Southwest Pass last night (January 14, 2021) and began dredging on the deepening contract. The GLENN EDWARDS is dredging on the Ship Channel Deepening project on assignment from Mile 18.0 BHP to Mile 20.0 BHP on the jetty end of Southwest Pass.
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 is responding 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 first scheduled channel closure of the Ship Channel for submerged pipeline placement began at 0600 hours this morning. The closure details are listed below as noted it will be followed by scheduled period on one-way transits. The second scheduled Ship Channel closure will be from 0600 hours to 1800 hours on Sunday, December 17, 2021.
- FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2021:
0600 hours to 1200 hours: all vessels are restricted from transiting between Mile 2.0 Above Head of Passes and Mile 0 (Head of Passes), the dredge will dig trench on the west side of the channel.
1200 hours to 1800 hours: all vessels are limited to one-way traffic along the west side of the Ship Channel between Mile 2.0 AHP and Mile 0 (Head of Passes), the dredge will dig trench on the east side of the channel.
The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 1000 hours today was 10.24 feet with a 24-hour change of + 0.01 feet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Carrollton Gauge issued today predicts a steady fall to 6.5 feet on February 12, 2021.
The Baton Rouge Gauge reading at 1100 hours today was 28.64 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.04 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 a slow steady fall to 16.6 feet on February 12, 2021.
