Portland Waterfront dredging wraps up

The City of Portland said that after a busy winter season along the waterfront, the Portland Waterfront dredging work is complete.

On the Portland side of the Fore River alone, over 10,000 linear feet of berthing has been deepened and restored, resulting in over 45,000 cubic yards (equivalent to 4,500 dump trucks) of material relocated to the CAD cell disposal site.

The project kicked off over the 2024-2025 winter with construction of the Confined Aquatic Disposal cell (CAD cell), located in the seafloor of the harbor, where dredged material would be deposited.

Heather Moretti, the City of Portland’s waterfront coordinator, said: “This dredging work highlights the goodwill and cooperation found along the Portland waterfront community, which is crucial for accomplishing this project. Displacement and disruption of a single pier face is a challenge.”

“For this season alone on the Portland Waterfront, we have worked through 28 separate work areas – all requiring operational and infrastructure adjustments from vessel owners, pier tenants, and pier managers.”  

The second half of the project will take place next winter, 2026-2027, where the work will concentrate on South Portland marinas, the East End Beach recreational boat ramp, and Maine Yacht Center.