Safeguarding deep-draft commercial navigation channels along the western Gulf Coast, four of North America’s premier marine contractors will compete for task orders under a $95,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract. The multi-year multiple-award task order contract (MATOC) provides dedicated hopper dredging capabilities across all navigation channels within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District boundary.
Contract Details: At A Glance
| Contractors: | The Dutra Group; Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. LLC; Manson Construction Co.; Weeks Marine Inc. |
| Award Date: | July 31, 2026 |
| Contract Value: | $95,000,000 (Shared Capacity) |
| Project: | Galveston District Hopper Dredging MATOC |
| Location: | Various locations across the Galveston District boundary (Texas Coast) |
| Contract Numbers: | W912HY-26-D-A018, W912HY-26-D-A019, W912HY-26-D-A020, W912HY-26-D-A021 |
| Awarding District: | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District |
District Context & Mission Impact
This major navigation capacity contract is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District. The Galveston District oversees more than 1,000 miles of shallow and deep-draft channels along the Texas coast, including entrance channels to key port complexes such as Houston, Galveston, Freeport, Corpus Christi, and Sabine-Neches. Continuous coastal current shifts, river discharge, and storm events drive rapid sediment shoaling in ocean bar channels, creating underwater navigation hazards for deep-draft vessels. Hopper dredges—specialized self-propelled vessels that vacuum sediments into onboard hoppers—are essential for clearing open-water bar channels safely without interfering with heavy commercial vessel traffic. Securing this $95 million MATOC ensures rapid task order deployment to maintain authorized channel depths, support global energy trade, and preserve supply chain resilience across the Texas coast.
Contractor Spotlight & Industry Context
The selected vendor pool consists of four premier commercial dredging contractors in the United States: The Dutra Group, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. LLC, Manson Construction Co., and Weeks Marine Inc. Bids were solicited via the internet with four proposals submitted. Self-propelled trailing suction hopper dredges represent high-value marine assets requiring specialized crews, precise positioning systems, and strict environmental compliance protocols (such as sea turtle deflector monitoring). Establishing multi-year MATOC agreements allows federal agency procurement offices to quickly mobilize high-capacity dredging fleets, keeping critical entrance channels clear and maintaining unimpeded maritime commerce.
