Panama Canal Expansion Reaches 96Pct Completion

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It is announced that the long-awaited expansion project of the canal has reached 96 percent completion by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP).
According to ACP CEO/Administrator Jorge L. Quijano, reinforcements of cracked locks detected in August this year are scheduled to be completed mid-January 2016, as assured by the project’s contractor Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC). This will be followed by testing of locks reinforcements and additional testing in February.
The ACP plans to test a chartered vessel in the Atlantic locks will occur (following conversations with GUPC) in April, which means that the official inauguration of the project has been pushed back again, as World Maritime News reported earlier.
The date for the inauguration ceremony is yet to be selected, however it is expected to be in the second quarter of 2016. This will be followed by the commercial opening of the expanded canal.
“We are very close—only four percent remains to complete the project,”Quijano said.“An expansion of the Panama Canal has never been done and we should all feel very good about where we are today.”
“After a successful year, we look forward to being able to provide the benefits of the new Canal to our customers and the people of Panama.”
The new locks will allow for the passage of between 10 and 12 Neopanamax vessels in approximately 40 daily transits through the Panama Canal.

Vi Port Authority Board Oks Overruns For Dredging

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The board of the Virgin Islands port authority has covered a US$2.2 million overrun in the cost of dredging around the cruise piers at the Austin Monsanto Cruise Terminal by approving reallocating funds from the 2014 Marine Capital Programme bond series.
Besides, a contract has been approved to begin a feasibility study immediately to identify at least two options for the location of a second cruise ship dock in Crown Bay, St. Thomas.
In 2014, the funding for the dredging came from bonds was issued. The board has budgeted an An initial US$3.5 million for the dredging of the entryway to the Port Authority’s cruise terminal on St Thomas. But the project is costing more than they expected before.

Whatcom Waterway Cleanup Dredging Underway

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A $35 million cleanup in the Whatcom Waterway is in full swing. Port of Bellingham has just released this video that shows progress on the Whatcom Waterway dredging scheme.

Port of Oakland Dredging in Full Swing

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The Port of Oakland is nearly a third of the way through its annual maintenance dredging program for 2015.

By November, the Port plans to scoop 185,000 cubic yards of sediment from 17 deep-water shipping berths. The goal of the $3.7 million projects: maintain 50-foot depths so container ships aren’t stuck in the mud.

The port said it has dredged 45,000 cubic yards of material from six berths since dredging began in August. It will clear another 140,000 yards of material from 11 additional berths.

The dredging season is restricted to this time period to protect endangered fish and fowl. Sediment dredged from Oakland berths is being deposited at the Montezuma Wetlands on Suisun Bay. The 2,400-acre marsh is being restored as a shorebird habitat.

$3M Expected for Intracoastal Waterway Dredging

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Sections of the Intracoastal Waterway near the Isle of Palms and near McClellanville are expected to be dredged thanks to almost $3 million set aside for waterway maintenance.

The Post and Courier of Charleston reports that the Charleston District of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has received $2.4 million for the work. Charleston County has agreed to chip in another half million.

The Corps has received bids for the dredging and expects to finalize the contract and release details next month.

USA: Dredging Begins on Simonton Lake in Elkhart

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Dredging is underway on Simonton Lake to deepen a big part of the lake, including the channel between its two basins and the public access location.

The dredging is estimating to take out about 45,000 cubic yards and funds come from DNR, the Elkhart County Community Foundation, and donations from lake residents as well as local businesses.

The dredging project has been in the planning stages for a while. If all goes well, it could be done sometime in November.