NEW YORK, NY - Work has begun on a maintenance dredging project in the lower New York Harbor being managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District. The work is part of a $5.76 million contract the Corps of Engineers awarded to Weeks Marine Inc., to mobilize and perform maintenance dredging of the Sandy Hook Channel and the Main Ship Channel in the lower New York Harbor.

The work will include removing up to approximately 400,000 cubic yards of material from the Federal channels to remove critical shoals and maintain the authorized channel dimensions, thereby assuring safe and economical use of the Sandy Hook and Main Ship Channels by commercial shipping interests.

"The Corps of Engineers was eager to move forward with this dredging job," said New York District Commander Col. John R. Boulé. "These channels are important access points for ships entering the Port of New York and New Jersey and by removing these shoals and maintaining adequate depths we're enabling safe commerce in the region."

The Sandy Hook Channel was last dredged in 2009 with the removal of approximately 133,000 cubic yards of sand. The Main Ship Channel was last dredged in 1993 with the removal of approximately 364,000 cubic yards of material.

The work is scheduled to be completed in early 2012.

Material dredged from the channel will be beneficially reused, being placed at the Historic Area Remediation Site.