Corps opens contract solicitation for Tangier jetty

Published March 18, 2020
The community of a little more than 700 people located in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay is experiencing erosion, sea-level rise and subsidence. Multiple projects, including an active dredging program and soon to be built jetty, are ongoing or being studied by The Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to find ways to combat the effects of these elements. (U.S. Army photo/Patrick Bloodgood)

The community of a little more than 700 people located in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay is experiencing erosion, sea-level rise and subsidence. Multiple projects, including an active dredging program and soon to be built jetty, are ongoing or being studied by The Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to find ways to combat the effects of these elements. (U.S. Army photo/Patrick Bloodgood)

NORFOLK, Va. – Progress towards constructing a navigation improvement project for Tangier Island is hitting a major milestone this month.

The Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a solicitation for an unrestricted, firm fixed price, invitation for bid (IFB) for construction of a jetty located on the small island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay.

The project involves constructing an approximately 685-foot jetty consisting of riprap/armor stone,  riprap/core stone, placement of geotextile fabric, placement of marine mattresses and placement of excavated material in an adjacent placement area. Additionally, incidental work related to construction as well as pre- and post-construction surveys of the project area are required.

Contractors are encouraged to submit their sealed bids by 2 p.m., April 9, at which time they will be publicly opened. 

For Norfolk District Project Manager Ashton Burgin the solicitation means the project is showing progress.

“Over the years the district has been working with the commonwealth of Virginia, Accomack County and the town to get this project constructed,” Burgin said. “Soliciting for bids means we are extremely close to starting the construction phase, which the Tangier residents have been anxiously awaiting since we started studying the project.”

A contract award is expected this spring, with a period of performance of 270 days.

The jetty will reduce wave attack on the island’s harbor, helping to protect the fishing fleet and crab houses that are a vital economic engine for the community.

Tangier Island sits in the Chesapeake Bay approximately 13 miles southwest of Crisfield, Maryland and approximately 15 miles directly east of Reedville, Virginia. The community is best known for its tight-knit watermen, who fish for Chesapeake blue crabs and oysters.

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