Muddy River dredging project entering ‘final stages’

Since the award of the construction contract and issuance of the Notice to Proceed over 2-1/2 years ago, Charter Contracting Company, LLC and the Army Corps continue to make good progress on the Muddy River dredging project.

According to the latest update on the project, the contractor has been actively dredging the sediment from the river and properly disposing of the material at disposal facilities.

Charter Contracting Company was awarded the $36.5 million Muddy River Flood Risk Management and Restoration Phase 2 project in early 2020.

Dredging of the Muddy River is divided into 12 work areas, with 6 work areas upstream of the Riverway and 6 work areas downstream of Ave. Louis Pasteur. At this time, the contractor has completed dredging in Work Areas #1-5 and #7-12.

Work Areas #5 and #6 include section of river by Short Street Bridge to Back Bay Yard — near the intersection of Park Drive and Riverway. As the dredging activities resumed in the upstream stretches of the river, temporary construction fencing was installed in early March 2022.

Mobilization of equipment and dredging of Work Area #5 took place late-April. Trees and shrubs were planted between early- to mid-June 2022. Maintenance of the planting in Work Area #5 will continue to October 2024 during the two-year plant guarantee period.

In Work Area #6, dredging outside the MWRA easement was completed early July 2022. Dredging near the existing sewer lines and phragmites removal along the banks will be deferred until early 2023, after the additional phragmites removal work is complete in Work Areas #11 and #12.

Planting and restoration of Work Area #6 will take place during the Spring 2023 planting window.

The Muddy River Flood Damage Reduction Phase 2 Construction Project is located in the footprint generally between Leverett Pond to Boylston Street in Boston and Brookline. The major project components involve dredging 1 to 8′ of sediment for flow conveyance in the Back Bay Fens and the Riverway sections of the Muddy River.

It also includes excavation of the sandbar and island at Leverett Pond and the removal of phragmites from the wetland and riparian areas which affect flow conveyance.