Looking to make it easier for ships and barges to navigate, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will dredge the main channel leading into Flushing Bay beginning this fall, Representatives Joe Crowley and Grace Meng announced Thursday.
The dredging will focus on Flushing Bay’s Federal Channel — located near the East River, the easternmost end of La Guardia Airport’s Runway 31 and the College Point waterfront. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, approximately 1,425,000 tons of cargo is transported through the channel annually and deposited at 14 different marine terminals.
Much of the cargo consists of sand, stone and petroleum products sent to local industries.
In October crews will begin dredging the 15-foot deep channel extending the length of Flushing Bay, removing approximately 125,000 cubic yards of sediment and other material on the channel floor. The sediment will be shipped inland for processing and disposal.
“Flushing Bay continues to be an important waterway for New York and I’m pleased that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be undertaking much-needed dredging of the channel to improve maneuverability for ships,” Crowley said.
“Ensuring that these vessels are able to freely navigate through this body of water helps promote and improve everything from trade and commerce to recreation and public safety,” Meng added.
The project, which was secured in the Corps’ $12.1 million work plan for federal 2015 fiscal year, has an estimated cost of $250,000.
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