Contract awarded to deepen the PortMiami channel

Calling the contract award a “major milestone” for PortMiami, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez added, “PortMiami will be the only US East Coast Port south of Virginia to be at the required minus 50 feet level in time to welcome the new generation of larger container cargo vessels arriving via the expanded Panama Canal.”

The dredge project includes the restoration of more than 16 acres of seagrass in northern Biscayne Bay and the creation of over nine acres of artificial reef. The Port’s mitigation measures include the relocation of hard coral colonies greater than 25 cm and those that are between 10 and 25 cm. Additionally, divers will be in the water adjacent to the project to monitor natural resources for turbidity and sedimentation effects before, during and after all dredging activities ensuring the highest environmental protection monitoring protocols outside of a national marine sanctuary.