FREEPORT, Bahamas, August 23, 2022 — Lucaya Service Company Limited (LUSCO), subsidiary of The Grand Bahama Development Company Limited (DEVCO), serves the Freeport community through the maintenance and upkeep of Lucaya’s physical infrastructure, including roadways, waterways, and ocean inlets in the Lucaya area.
During recent hurricanes, the south shore of Grand Bahama experienced significant wave activity that formed sand shoals in the navigation canals and waterways, creating obstructions and hazards for boaters. The jetties installed to stabilize the navigation channels were also impacted, as boulders were displaced and the retaining walls breached.
The Fortune Bay entrance channel, a busy conduit for the boating public, requires maintenance dredging to 9 feet below Mean Low Water (MLW), (which refers to the water depth at an average low tide) for a length of 1,347 feet. The volume of material to be removed with the maintenance dredging is considerable.
“Grand Bahama’s waterways are used for both commercial and recreational purposes, and the health of those waterways is critical to life on Grand Bahama, and to maintaining and growing our economy,” said Charisse Brown, CEO, President & Senior Legal Counsel of Grand Bahama Development Company.
Preliminary work leading to the selection of the bidder to conduct the dredging included: conducting bathymetric surveys of the canal depth; engaging a project management firm; securing funding; preparing a Request for Proposals; securing the staging area; the project going out to tender; site visits with bidders; and coordinating time frame for mobilization.
Local construction contractors were invited to bid for maintenance dredging and jetty repairs at the Fortune Bay Canal Inlet. The successful bidder, A&D Gaitor’s Equipment Rock & Sand, a Bahamian company licensed by the Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited, is currently working with LUSCO and the regulatory group to finalize an approved work plan, including environmental safety measures to minimize potential impacts that might result from the dredging and restoration works. The Project.
Manager and Local Engineer of Record for the project is Phoenix Engineering Group Limited. Phoenix Engineering will also develop a comprehensive program for ongoing maintenance of the canals.
“The maintenance dredging works are expected to begin early September 2022 and completion is anticipated by the end of 2022,” continued Mrs. Brown. “The jetty reconstruction will follow dredging works and will begin around November 2022, with completion anticipated in early 2023. We thank the boating public for their patience over the coming months as this critical work is undertaken, and we will keep you advised of any potential impact to the traffic in the waterway and shoreline areas.”
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