The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced that the Jacksonville Harbor deepening project is officially underway as contractors began dredging Contract “A” – the first of multiple construction contracts that will deepen the existing federal navigation channel from 40 to 47 feet.
The Dutra Group was recently awarded the contract to construct the project’s first three mile segment.
“ We are very pleased to initiate construction on this nationally significant project,” said Jacksonville District Commander Col. Jason Kirk . “ Extensive work has been done to prepare for this project, including modeling and project studies containing the best scientific information available.”
Contract A includes dredging around three-million cubic yards of material from the entrance channel (Bar Cut-3) to slightly west of the Mayport Ferry (Cut 7).
The contractor will transport the excavated material and place it in the Jacksonville Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site located about six miles southeast of the entrance channel jetties.
The current contract completion date for Contract A is July 31, 2019.
In addition to dredging, the work involves turbidity/sedimentation monitoring (environmental monitoring before and during construction to determine direct and indirect effects associated with construction activities), endangered species and marine life observers, said USACE.
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