The Dutra Group Returns to Port Canaveral with a New Mission and Assets
Located on the east coast of Florida adjacent to the towns of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, Port Canaveral is a vital U.S. cruise and cargo port, as well home to many pleasure and small recreational vessels. The Port also plays a role in protecting U.S. security interests as the home to separate Army, Navy, and Air Force Facilities.
First dedicated in 1953, the Port’s early industry was commercial fishing and cargo, most notably central Florida orange juice. The Port also played an important role in America’s space program, supporting nearby Cape Canaveral launches and the retrieval of spent solid rocket boosters at sea. The cruise industry discovered Port Canaveral in the 1970’s and it is now one of the busiest cruise ports in the world, home porting vessels from Carnival, Disney, and Royal Caribbean, and hosting over 4 million revenue cruise passengers per year.
This $28 million dollar project consisted of dredging approximately 3 million cubic yards of material.
The Dutra Group’s history with Port Canaveral began with the 2014 Canaveral Harbor 44 Foot Channel Project. Dutra was contracted by the Port Commission to widen and deepen the main channel to -44 feet. This $28 million dollar project consisted of dredging approximately 3 million cubic yards of material with disposal at the permitted ODMDS offshore site. In 2017, the Port Commission awarded Dutra its second Canaveral project, the West Turning Basin Cargo Deepening Project. This 800,000 cubic yard, $19 million dollar project allows deeper draft access to the Port’s West Turning Basin’s container cargo facilities, including the North Cargo Berths 5 and 6.
Now, under a new $10 million dollar, 900,000 million cubic yard contract to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, Dutra has returned to Canaveral to perform the Canaveral Harbor Maintenance Dredging 41, 42 And 43-Foot Project. The required maintenance dredging includes removal of shoal material from the harbor main channel. A portion of the dredged material determined to be of nearshore quality will be placed into the Nearshore Disposal Area. The remaining material will be disposed of into the ODMDS.
The Dutra Group takes great pride in its past success overcoming the challenges of working in Port Canaveral. The area is subject to tropical storm systems including hurricanes, a high volume of cruise ship traffic, a priority that must be given to U.S. military traffic, and a commitment to fulfill a responsibility to environmental species and turbidity monitoring. Most of all, Dutra is proud to reaffirm its commitment to the U.S. dredging and maritime industry in Port Canaveral by introducing our newest capital asset, the clamshell dredge Harry S. The Canaveral veteran dredge, the DB Paula Lee and her fleet of scows is being joined by the Harry S. with additional scows to work side-by-side toward completion of this critical project.
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John Elliott
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