The Virgin Islands Port Authority has issued an Invitation to Bid for the dredging of the Charlotte Amalie Harbor in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. VIPA is seeking a qualified contractor to dredge the entrance channels of the harbor, the turning basin, and the berth pocket to allow for the continued safe entry for vessels entering the harbor and berthing at the West Indian Company Limited (WICO) dock in Havensight.
Also included in the project is an additive to incorporate the necessary dredging to both maintain the existing slips and expand the Yacht Haven Grande Marina (YHG). This portion of the project will be paid for by YHG.
The bid documents can be downloaded from VIPA’s e-procurement system on its website at https://viportbids.ionwave.net/. Responses to the bid are due on February 14, 2025, at 3 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time and may only be submitted through VIPA’s e-procurement system.
Speaking about the importance of this project, VIPA Executive Director Carlton Dowe said, “The release of this bid package is a culmination of years and years of work and collaboration with officials of WICO, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources Coastal Zone Management Commission (CZM), the Government Employees’ Retirement System (GERS) which owns the Havensight Mall, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers. This project has been a long-time goal of the Port Authority to ensure the continued success of the essential cruise industry that serves as the backbone of tourism that is the lifeblood of the territory’s economy. I would like to thank the members of VIPA’s Board of Governors and VIPA staff, our consultants BioImpact and Moffatt & Nichol, the U.S. Virgin Islands Legislature, and the Bryan-Roach Administration for the support and years of work that went into making this project possible. While the dredging has not yet started, this is a major milestone for this critical development.”
Dowe also ensured that the Authority would collaborate closely with the contractor to ensure the least possible noise pollution for residents in the immediate area and to minimize interruptions to vessel traffic during the dredging. He added that VIPA recognizes that the project will occur outside the active Havensight Mall and will try to limit interruptions to the facility’s merchants, tenants, and other offices and businesses in the surrounding area.
The project, initially envisioned in 2008 to maintain a competitive cruise industry for the territory by expanding the capability of the WICO dock to accommodate the largest cruise vessels in the world, is expected to begin during the second quarter of 2025 and finish in time for peak cruise season in 2026. This significant development will ensure improved access and navigation for cruise traffic, benefiting the local economy and supporting continued growth and development in the territory.
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