Port Of Iberia Solicits Bids For Dredging Acadiana Channel To The Gulf Of Mexico
The Port of Iberia, located north of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) along the central Louisiana coast, is soliciting bids for the Acadiana to the Gulf of Mexico Access Channel (AGMAC), an estimated $38 million project that will link the port to the Gulf via a 16-foot-deep canal.
The port already has access to the GIWW through its “commercial canal.” The AGMAC project will deepen both the commercial canal and the Freshwater Bayou Navigation Channel to the west. In the spring, the port initiated the relocation and deepening of four pipelines across the main port channel, which was the first step in the project. Three relocations are complete, with the the fourth now underway.
Work to establish the AGMAC will be funded with capital outlay dollars from the state.
The port is seeking bids on the first segment of Phase 1 of the project, which is estimated to cost $13 million. GIS Engineering of Houma, La., is the engineer for the project.
The Port of Iberia will hold a non-mandatory pre-bid meeting August 25 at 2 p.m. at the port’s administration office. Bids will be publicly opened and read September 15 at 2 p.m., also in the port’s administration office in New Iberia.
The contract will go to the lowest bidder. Contact Central Auction House at 225-810-4814 or visit www.centralauctionhouse.com for information on bid documents. For project questions, contact GIS Engineering at bidquestions@gisy.com.
The port expects dredging for this portion of the project to begin in October. Dredging the entire access channel is expected to take between 10 and 12 months.
“This project will give the Port of Iberia the capability of allowing much larger vessels to access our port, therefore creating more job opportunities for all of Acadiana,” Craig Romero, executive director of the Port of Iberia, said upon announcing the call for bids. “Thanks to our entire Acadiana legislative delegation for securing the necessary funding to make this tremendous project possible.”
