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 with the dustpan dredges on the Crossings Above New Orleans for Fiscal Year 2020 on January 9, 2021.
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 MRSC 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 the 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:
Weeks Marine continues responding to Southwest Pass Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract #1-2020 with the two cutterhead dredges listed below.
E.W. ELLEFSEN: The industry cutterhead dredge E.W. ELLEFSEN (Weeks Marine) is presently working at Mile 5.23 Below Head of Passes (BHP) dredging on assignment from Mile 1.0 BHP to Mile 9.0 BHP on the western side of the Ship Channel. The E.W. ELLEFSEN started dredging on the deepening project on November 18, 2020.
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 now dredging on assignment from Mile 2.0 BHP to Mile 6.0 BHP on the eastern side of the Ship Channel. The CAPTAIN FRANK recently completed the assignment from Mile 13 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 18.0 BHP on assignment from Mile 9.0 BHP to Mile 18.0 BHP on the western side of the channel. The cutterhead will soon be moving to the next assignment from Mile 9.0 BHP to Mile 13.0 BHP on the eastern side of the channel. The cutterhead is working under Southwest Pass Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract #2-2020 for the Ship Channel deepening that was awarded to Manson Construction on September 8, 2020.
HOPPER DREDGES WORKING ON DEEPENING IN SOUTHWEST PASS:
GLENN EDWARDS: The GLENN EDWARDS is expected to complete repairs today and then resuming dredging on the deepening project from Mile 2.0 Above Head of Passes (AHP) to Mile 0 (Head of Passes) on the eastern side of the Ship Channel. The industry hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS (Manson Construction) arrived in Southwest Pass on January 14, 2021.
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 the cutterhead dredge ILLINOIS. The installation of a submerged dredge pipeline to place the removed dredge material in the West Bay Receiving Area was completed on January 19, 2021. The pipeline crosses 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 ILLINOIS commenced dredging in the HDDA on January 27, 2021. The project is expected to be completed late this year (2021). The submerged pipeline will have to be removed upon completion and the retrieval will require at least one complete channel closure in the immediate vicinity (Mile 2.0 AHP to Mile 0 – the Head of Passes).
The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 1100 hours today was 4.49 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.17 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 to remain steady for a few days before rising to 7.8 feet on February 12, 2021 and then stay steady for a few days before falling to 6.5 feet on February 26, 2021.
