Contract for dredging of the St. Lawrence Waterway

This seven-year contract will begin during the summer of 2012. The dredging operation is directed at reestablishing the depth of the waterway by removing accumulated sediments.
 
The maintenance dredging of the North Traverse and Bécancour and Cap-Santé Traverse, with an estimated total annual volume of 70,000 cum of sediments, is the most important undertaking in the St. Lawrence river between Montreal and l'Isle-aux-Coudres.
 
The importance of safe dredging operations requires the construction of a 70-metre self-carrying trailing suction hopper dredger. This self-propelled dredger will be built at Ocean Industries' shipyard, located at l'Isle-aux-Coudres. Construction of this dredger, the largest in Eastern Canada, should take about one year. The dredger will also be available for other projects in Canada, namely those for protection of river banks and shorelines against erosion.