Advance Notice to Bidders for the Maintenance Dredging of Newark Bay, New Jersey, Federal Navigation Project

The New York District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) proposes to perform maintenance dredging of portions of the Newark Bay, New Jersey, Federal Navigation Project.  The dredged material would be processed and subsequently transported to and placed at a contractor furnished, State permitted upland placement site(s). The proposed maintenance dredging would remove approximately 258,000 cubic yards (a minimum of approximately 135,000 cubic yards as basic work, and the remaining as optional work) of selected critical shoals from the Main, Port Newark, Port Newark Pierhead, Port Elizabeth, and South Elizabeth Channels of Newark Bay.  Dredging in these channels would be required to depths of -50 feet, -45 feet, -40 feet and/or -35 feet Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) plus 1 foot allowable overdepth. The dredged material is expected to consist primarily of silt and clay.

Due to restrictions found in the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Water Quality Certificate, the proposed work can only be performed by utilizing a mechanical dredge with a closed clamshell environmental bucket. Additionally, multiple barges and tugboats will be needed to perform the work during the dredging, dewatering and unloading operations. The dredged material would be required to meet all federal, state, and local criteria required by the government agencies having jurisdiction where the placement site is located. All necessary permits required for the dredged material placement will be provided by the contractor to the government.

The apparent low bidder shall, within 35 calendar days from the date the apparent low bidder is notified of being such, provide copies of all required permits and approvals for transportation, transfer, dewatering, processing, and final placement of dredged material, and shall submit evidence of such permits and approvals to the government.  Bidders should consult the specifications for all submittal requirements.

Once the contract is awarded, the contractor will be required to commence work within five (5) calendar days after the date of receipt of the notice to proceed, and maintain an integrated production rate of at least 2,500 cubic yards per calendar day for the dredging, transportation, transfer, dewatering, processing, and final placement of the material.  The presence of dredging equipment in the channel will impact ship traffic, and it is necessary to maintain this production rate while minimizing the duration of this impact.

Plans and specifications for the subject project are expected to be available in May 2024, with bid opening in June 2024.  It is the intention of the government to award in July/August 2024 and the proposed work is anticipated to take place between August 2024 and January 2025.  The work is estimated to cost between $25,000,000 and $100,000,000.

Liquidated damages of $2,808.00 per calendar day of delay will be assessed to the contractor until all work under the contract is accepted as complete.

This is an unrestricted Procurement.