Maintaining clear commercial shipping lanes, preventing navigation draft restrictions, and protecting Great Lakes waterborne commerce, Walsh Services Solutions LLC has been awarded a $39,304,987 firm-fixed-price contract. The civil works navigation action finances maintenance dredging along commercial channels and harbor basins in Fairport Harbor, Ohio.
Contract Details: At A Glance
| Contractor: | Walsh Services Solutions LLC |
| Award Date: | September 25, 2026 |
| Contract Value: | $39,304,987 |
| Project: | Fairport Harbor Maintenance Dredging |
| Location: | Fairport Harbor, Ohio |
| Contract Number: | W912P4-26-C-A016 |
| Awarding District: | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District |
District Context & Mission Impact
This major Great Lakes navigation maintenance project is administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District. The Buffalo District maintains 36 federal commercial harbors and over 110 miles of navigation channels along Lakes Erie and Ontario. Fairport Harbor, situated at the mouth of the Grand River, serves as a vital Great Lakes commercial port handling bulk commodities, including limestone, salt, gravel, and asphalt, for regional manufacturing and construction industries. Heavy seasonal river discharge and Lake Erie storm wave action continuously deposit riverine silt and sand in outer harbor basins and deep-draft channels. Executing multi-year maintenance dredging restores authorized navigation depths, prevents commercial vessel groundings, and ensures safe maritime transit through late summer 2029.
Contractor Spotlight & Industry Context
Headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Walsh Services Solutions LLC is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) prime contractor specializing in heavy civil construction, marine environmental services, maintenance dredging, and infrastructure management across the Great Lakes region. Bids were solicited via the internet with four competitive proposals received. Executing maintenance dredging in busy Lake Erie harbors requires specialized mechanical or hydraulic dredging equipment, sediment transportation barges, placement area management, and continuous hydrographic bathymetric surveying to comply with strict environmental windows. Partnering experienced regional marine contractors with USACE coastal navigation teams maintains resilient Great Lakes maritime supply chains.
