Port Manatee Seeks Bids for Major Dredging Project

The Manatee County Port Authority Palmetto Florida is seeking bids for a major dredging project at its new Berth 12.

Bids will be accepted until March 22 2010.

The project will provide a depth of 41 feet at mean low-low-water with an additional foot of draft for ships using the south channel area of the port.

The nearly 1600-foot-long berth is designed to accommodate containerized shipping and is expected to be operational by late 2010.

Berth 12 completes a $200 million port expansion project started in 1999.

The base bid for the project includes excavation and hydraulic dredging of nearly 760000 cubic yards of material and removal to a certified uplands dredged material placement site.

A bid alternate calls for dredging and removal of an additional 370000 cubic yards of material.

The port authority will receive sealed bids until March 22nd at 2 p.m. The request for proposal is on the port’s Web site at www.portmanatee.com/requests.aspx.