Army Corps completes Kill Van Kull deepening contract

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES

10.04.2011

Courtesy Story

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District

By Vince Elias
New York District

NEW YORK ‐‐ As part of what is considered to be one of the biggest dredging contracts undertaken in the New York Harbor, the Army Corps completed the last major Kill Van Kull 50 foot deepening contract, Sept. 24, 2011.

Since the beginning of this century, dredgers began deepening the Kill Van Kull to a depth of 50 feet along the bottom of the four-mile-long underwater highway that connects to the Arthur Kill Channel, Newark Bay and to the Upper New York Bay allowing access to the world's largest ocean-going ships.

“Working closely with our partners, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and various contractors, we were able to successfully deepen the Kill Van Kull, a complex channel comprised of rock and a variety of sediments," said New York District Commander Col. John R. Boulé. "The deepening of the Kill Van Kull is a real achievement that enables navigation to several of the ports in the New York and New Jersey area for the largest ships in the world, and the project's completion is a critical milestone in the development of a World-Class Harbor Estuary.

The Kill Van Kull is a crucial component in providing 50 foot channel access to the container terminals in Staten Island, Port Newark and Elizabeth, and a component of a broader effort of the deepening project. To bring all the area shipping channel depths to 50 feet, further dredging is needed in the Arthur Kill, Ambrose and Bay Ridge channels.

Port Authority Port Commerce Director Richard Larrabee said, "Deepening the harbor channels is a critical part of our strategy to grow the port business, which now supports 269,900 full-time jobs and $11.2 billion in personal income. Deeper channels, a state-of-the-art on-dock rail system, and a modern port road network will give us the tools we need to continue to compete for international business."

“All Kill Van Kull underwater blasting, excavating and dredged material removal was accomplished without interrupting the vital flow of ships transiting the port,” said Lisa Baron, the Army Corps’ Chief of Harbor Programs, New York District. “The completion of this project demonstrates the Corps’ commitment to creating a world-class harbor estuary. Dredgers are currently deepening the Arthur Kill contract area north of Shooters Island in New Jersey waters to ensure a safe depth of 50 feet.”

• Date Taken: 10.04.2011
• Date Posted: 10.04.2011 11:02
• Story ID: 77982
• Location: NEW YORK, NY, US