2.5 million cubic yards of material to be dredged near mouth of the Bay

A press release from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says that 2.5 million cubic yards of mud, silt, sand and other material will be dredged from the Cape Henry Channel at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay near Norfolk. This channel leads into the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The approach is critical for shipping lines to reach the port of Baltimore.

Great Locks Dredge and Dock, based in Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded a $14.5 million contract to dredge the channel to a depth of 51 feet, plus another foot of “overdepth” — an allowance to account for unanticipated variations in the bottom surface.

The Baltimore District Commander for the Corps of Engineers will oversee the dredging.

The project, which will conclude by the fall, is part of regular maintenance to allow the port of Baltimore to continue to accommodate massive vessels carrying cars, containers and other cargo.

The dredged material is being placed at the nearby Dam Neck Ocean Dredge Material Disposal Site.