The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company Limited has announced details about the River Mersey approach channel dredging contract.
The project will include deepening, and if required, widening of the River Mersey existing approach channel to the Port of Liverpool between the bar at the outer end of the channel and the Port of Liverpool.
It is estimated that the total volume of dredged material will be between 4,500,000 m3 and 5,000,000 m3. The minimum required bed level of the approach channel following dredging is 8.0m below Chart Datum (bCD). The channel has historically been dredged to this level although currently the existing approach channel has a maintained depth of circa 6.9m bCD.
The contractor will be required to carry out bathymetric surveys before, during and after the works to verify sea bed levels. Depending on the final dredge profile of the channel there may be a requirement to reposition and/or replace some of the channel marker buoys. It is envisaged that the dredged material will be transported to designated disposal sites in the Irish Sea, as well as two other local marine sites.
There may be a requirement to interface with the contractor constructing the new quay wall and the associated land reclamation for The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company Ltd (MDHC) at the Port of Liverpool.
This requirement may be that a portion of the dredged material, suitable for use as reclamation material, will be supplied to the contractor carrying out the quay wall and reclamation works on behalf of MDHC.
The deadline for the requests of documents is December 20, 2012, and value of this project is between £20,000,000 and £40,000,000
The project period is 12 months from the date of contract award.
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Dredging Today Staff, November 23, 2012