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3 Major Dredging Projects To Watch In 2018

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One of the most notable parts of the field of dredging is its dynamic character. Projects of all scales and sizes are being started and completed every week. It keeps our dredge rental services busy, and it helps make waterways more accessible and cleaner. Since there’s always some dredging project going on, we here at U.S. Aqua Services thought it might be fun to highlight some of the major projects of the year. When you’re ready to start your own project, contact our dredging equipment rental specialists today!

Projects To Watch In 2018

While U.S. Aqua Services offers their dredging services all across the United States, there are projects occurring all over the world. Here are some projects that are close to home, and others in faraway lands.

Charleston Harbour

Famous for being the site of the first shots of the Civil War, Charleston Harbour has been a focus of American attention for centuries. In 2017, that attention was renewed when the US Army Corps of Engineers announced one of its most ambitious dredging projects ever. The Harbour would be deepened, and the project’s contract is worth a staggering $213.3 million, making this the single largest dredging contract that the Corps of Engineers has ever awarded.

The project’s focus is to deepen the Harbour’s port access. Currently, it is nearly 32km wide, and 13.7m deep. The project will deepen the access to 16.5m, and dredge an estimated 6.4 million cubic meters of material. These materials will be used to create nine artificial offshore reefs to help positively impact the local marine environment. The dredging project proposal as it currently stands suggests that the entire process should take between 40 and 76 months to complete, meaning that while it will start in 2018, it will not be completed until years down the road. The deepened access will allow Charleston Harbour to better compete with ports and harbors in the Northeast.

A New Panama Port

Panama is home to arguably one of the most famous dredging projects of all time. While it’s famous canal was finished in 1914, in the century since then, the canal has undergone several major expansions and improvements, making it one of the most used canals in the world. This new project is being heralded as an economic boon to the Central American country. Panama’s president, Juan Carlos Varela, highlighted its impact on job growth and increased trading opportunities when discussing the project.

The project is expected to cost around $165.7 million and the dredging process should last roughly 18 months. By the time the project is completed, Perico Island, on the Pacific side of Panama, will host the new Amador Cruise Port. The port will have two docks and will be able to host two of even the largest of cruise ships. Project leaders plan on dredging an impressive five million cubic materials of materials to create 360m long, 35m wide, and 11.5m deep port. The materials will be used in land reclamation projects across Panama.

Vietnam

As part of a larger series of projects designed to improve access and use of ports and harbors in the north end of the country, Vietnam is taking on a series of dredging projects. In 2017, Vietnam finished a 15.6km long oversea bridge that is recognized as southeast Asia’s longest oversea bridge. The bridge connects the city of Dinh Vu to Cat Hai Island where a new port is being dredged and built. This port’s first docks are expected to open in 2018.

The ports being made here are expected to be some of the nation’s deepest at nearly 14 meters deep. This means that some of the heaviest and largest cargo ships can safely travel here. The size and depth of this port means that Vietnamese businesses can now directly export their goods to Europe and the US without having to ship them to and from Singapore and Hong Kong first.

For All Your Dredging Projects

2018 is undoubtedly an exciting year for the dredging industry. With dynamic new projects starting all over the world, U.S. Aqua Services is excited to be a part of new projects here in the United States. We offer our dredge rental services all over the country, and our dredging equipment is some of the most advanced in the industry. If you’re looking for a dredging equipment rental company for your next project, contact our specialists right away.