After only one day spent on the site, hopper dredge “Liberty Island” will go back to Virginia for more repairs.
For the last two moths, the Liberty Island was in Norfolk where the vessel’s starboard engine was replaced. The Liberty Island had returned to Ocean City’s south end on Monday to resume a beach fill operation that began on April 17 and was expected to be completed by July 5.
After an unsuccessful test on Monday, it was determined that the vessel needs additional maintenance. According to Richard Pearsall, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District this is a major issue for a large dredge like the Liberty Island.
He continued on saying that repairs of this type are performed more efficiently in a ship yard, which is why the dredge is headed to Virginia again.
On November 10, 2014, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $57.6-million contract to the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company to complete the coastal storm damage reduction project from the southern end of Ocean City to Strathmere and Sea Isle.
The project, which entails the construction of a dune and a berm, or beach, in front of each community, is a joint effort of the Army Corps’ Philadelphia District and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Before the dredge broke, the project was around halfway done.
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