US dredging service provider Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company recently announced the receipt of an award for a US$134.5 million contract to deepen the Savannah Harbour federal shipping channel.
PTI previously reported a contract signing that allowed the Savannah Harbour to begin construction.
The project involves deepening the entrance channel to a depth of 14.3 metres and represents the first step in deepening the 40-mile-long shipping channel and harbour.
It is part of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP), a major port improvement project with an estimated cost of more than $700 million.
David Simonelli, President of Dredging at Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, said: “As always, we will be committed to the safety of the public and our crew, as well as protecting the surrounding environment and marine habitat, while we deepen the shipping channel”.
Jonathan Berger, CEO of Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, added: “As the Panama Canal deepening
continues to progress, it is critical for US ports along the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast to accommodate post-Panamax vessels.
“With its significant investment in the SHEP, the state of Georgia clearly appreciates the economic implications that this improvement to its infrastructure will have. The economic impact of the port deepening stretches far beyond Savannah or Georgia – it will be beneficial to the entire nation.”
The project is expected to generate more than $170 million in net benefits for the US.
Dredging works are set to begin in 2015 and the harbour completed by the summer of 2018.
