The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District has awarded a $32.6 million dredging contract to Dutra Group of San Rafael, California, for the Upper Reach B phase of the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening project.
The contract for the Delaware Main Channel is to be completed by October 21, 2017.
The overall project involves dredging within the existing 40-foot Delaware River federal navigation channel to deepen it to 45 feet from Philadelphia Harbor, Pa. and Beckett Street Terminal, Camden, N.J. along a 102.5-mile distance to deepwater in the Delaware Bay.
The first deepening contract for the project was awarded back in 2010. Since then, seven contracts have been completed; one is under construction; with the final two for the Upper Reach E and Upper Reach B to be performed by the end of 2017.
The deeper channel will provide for more efficient transportation of containerized, dry bulk (steel and slag) and liquid bulk (crude oil and petroleum products) cargo to and from the Delaware River ports, with estimated net annualized benefits of more than $13 million to the U.S. economy.