Corps selects Columbia River dredge contractor

Corps selects Columbia River dredge contractor    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded an $8.7 million contract Thursday to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. to begin deepening the Columbia River’s main channel from 40 to 43 feet this summer. The deeper channel is designed to make the Port of Portland and other ports in Washington and Oregon more efficient by allowing bulk and container vessels to transit the river with larger loads.
   The deepening will take place on a 13-mile stretch on the lower part of the river. Great Lakes will also perform maintenance dredging on the 103.5 mile stretch from the mouth of the river to Vancouver, Wash., as well as the six-mile long channel across the Columbia River bar at the mouth, according to a joint announcement by area ports.    Maintenance work is scheduled to begin this month.
   Great Lakes, based in Oak Brook, Ill., beat out Manson Construction, from Seattle, and Bean Stuyvesant, from New Orleans, for the bid. Great Lakes' bid was $1.1 million less than Manson’s and $5 million less than Bean’s.
   The ports said shippers will save $18.8 million per year because vessels will be able to fully load.