Dredging of Fort Bay Harbor begins

Dredging of The Capt. L. A. I. Chance pier in Fort Bay began today as the equipment to carry out the project arrived on the island. Contractor Devcon International is executing the work. When the project is complete the area inside harbor should be increased to a depth of 15 feet from its current depth of 11 feet.

The dredging is being done by excavators that sit on a 230ft barge that has a capacity of 2000 tons. When the barge is full, it will be towed out to an area 5-10 miles northwest of the island, and the sand will be dumped. This is to avoid damage to the reefs around the harbor.

Harbormaster Travis Johnson said that efforts would be made to minimize the impact on traffic in and out of the harbor during the project. However, there are going to be inconveniences. “We are aware that the harbor is the main entry point for goods into the island, and we want to ensure that businesses that rely on the harbor are not affected by the dredging. We would like to ask for the cooperation of all stakeholders.”

Commissioner of Harbor Affairs, Bruce Zagers, stated that “The Executive Council has always indicated that more money is necessary to clear the backlog in maintenance at the harbor. Dredging the harbor should be done on a regular basis. However, the island does not have funds for this type of work in its budget. We are grateful to the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment for providing funding for this project.”

The work is expected to be completed by the middle of December.

Press release GIS.