USACE Galveston District awards $6.35 million contract to dredge Sabine-Neches Waterway

By U.S. ArmyAugust 13, 2014

GALVESTON, Texas (Aug. 13, 2014) -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District awarded a contract in the amount of $6,350,950 to Manson Construction Co., for maintenance dredging of the Sabine-Neches Waterway, Port Arthur Canal, Junction and Taylors Bayou in Jefferson County, Texas.

The contractor is required to remove approximately 1.5 million cubic yards of dredged material from the Port Arthur Canal, Junction Area and Taylors Bayou beginning this month with an estimated completion date of April 2015.

"The positive economic impacts of maintaining this channel along with its unique energy and military strategic significance are impressive and truly make the Sabine-Neches Waterway a significant American asset," said Paula Rankin Wise, USACE Galveston District project manager. "All of the dredged material from this contract will be relocated to Placement Area 8, located on Pleasure Island."

According to Wise, the SNWW is the fourth largest waterway in the nation and enables the transport of more than 100 million tons of cargo annually to energy, petrochemical and military users.

"The Sabine-Neches Waterway is an economically and strategically significant federal deep-draft navigation channel that connects Texas and Louisiana," said Wise. "It is projected to become America's largest exporter of liquified natural gas with tens of billions of dollars invested in processing facilities underway on both the Louisiana and Texas sides of the channel, which is why it is critical that we keep these channels open for commercial waterborne traffic."

The USACE Galveston District was established in 1880 as the first engineer district in Texas to oversee river and harbor improvements. The district is directly responsible for maintaining more than 1,000 miles of channel, including 270 miles of deep draft and 750 miles of shallow draft as well as the Colorado River Locks and Brazos River Floodgates.

Learn more about the Texas coast at http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/Missions/TexasCoastValuetotheNation.aspx. For news and information, visit www.swg.usace.army.mil. Find us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/GalvestonDistrict or follow us on Twitter, www.twitter.com/USACEgalveston.