Orion Marine Group has just won a $5.86 million maintenance dredging contract for work in the Texas Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), Corpus Christi Ship Channel to Port Isabel and for work at the entrance to the Port Isabel Small Boat Harbor.
“ The GIWW is an essential component of the nation’s navigation network extending for 1,109 miles from Appalachee Bay Florida to Port Isabel, Texas ,” said Seth Jones, an operations manager with USACE Galveston District’s Navigation Branch . “ The 379-mile Texas portion of the GIWW handles more than 73 million short tons of cargo annually valued at $42 billion. ”
According to Jones, approximately 75 percent of this cargo is classified as petroleum and petrochemical-related products (2013).
“ Maintenance dredging in these navigation channels will remove approximately 1,250,000 cubic yards of material from the GIWW and will keep open this critical navigation channel that links the valley to all ports and businesses in Texas as well as and other states that are served by the GIWW ,” added Jones.
Work is scheduled to begin November 2015, with an anticipated completion date at the end of February 2016.