Pier 2 Renovation Enters Second Phase
Renovations will enter a new phase this month when dredging begins at Pier 2.
The project entails removing over 235,000 cubic yards of natural silt from the Davisville Channel and east berth. The work will be done by a dredge excavator with the capacity to remove 18 cubic yards of silt at a time – roughly the amount of material that would fit into an average-sized dump truck.
A scow barge will then bring the material to the Federal Rhode Island Sound Disposal Site, located nine nautical miles off the coast of Point Judith.
This will be only the second time Pier 2 and its channel has been dredged since the 1940’s.
This dredging project will allow the Port to accommodate even larger ships with more cargo and will also create the depth needed for the new third berth on the East face of Pier 2.
In advance of dredging, QDC worked closely with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, the R.I. Department of Environmental Management and the R.I. Coastal Resource Management Council to ensure strict compliance with all environmental regulations and guidelines.
Meanwhile, activity at the Port will continue at the usual pace – the sequence of dredging has been carefully coordinated to ensure that two berths at the Port remain open to incoming vessels at all times.
