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 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 on January 10, 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 2.8 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 15.51 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 13.47 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 temporary closure(s) of the Ship Channel estimated to last 12-hours at a time. The pipeline will cross the Ship Channel from the HDDA into West Bay at a location between Mile 1.4 AHP and Mile 1.2 AHP. The contract includes the removal of 10 mcy in the base with options to add an additional 4 mcy and is expected to start in December (2020). The pipeline placement and closures are now expected to be conducted in early January 2021, details on the closure dates should be available over the 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 is dredging on assignment at Port Allen Lock forebay working on the shallow-draft assignment. The WALLACE McGEORGE is expected to start dredging the last assignment of the year near the Arlington Ranges (approximately Mile 226 AHP) later this week. The WALLACE McGEORGE commenced dredging on the Crossings on Thursday, May 21, 2020.
The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 1400 hours today was 4.92 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 a slow but erratic fall is stages down to 4.0 feet on January 18, 2021.
The Baton Rouge Gauge reading at 1400 hours today was 16.68 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.22 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 but erratic fall in stages to 9.9 feet on January 18, 2021.
