Project

Capital and maintenance dredging in the Martin Garcia channels, the fairways given access to the Uruguay and Parana rivers.

Location : Argentina
Client : Comision Administradora del Rio de la Plata
Contractor : J.V. Dredging International
HAM, BOKA, BALLAST, GREAT LAKES, DYOPSA & PENTAMAR
Period : 1996 - 2006
Value : 140 mio €

Scope of work

Capital dredging
Maintenance dredging

General Information

The Martin Garcia Channel acts as the fairway through the Rio de la Plata estuary, giving access to the Uruguay river and, via the tributaries of the Paraná, to the Paraná Inferior and the upstream Argentine grain ports of Rosario and Santa Fé.

Description of the works

The Martin Garcia Channel has a length of some 120 km, 75 km of which must be dredged to a depth of some 10 m. The width of the channel varies from 90 to 100 metres.

A trailing suction hopper dredger dredged the southern part of the channel, which consists of mostly soft silt and clay. The northern part of the channel, where the sea bottom is comprised of firm clay and rock, was done with the cutter suction dredger Amazone.

The project consists of two “etapas”.

“Etapa 1” capital dredging (2 years)

• dredging works for the opening of the channel at the designed dimensions;
• installation of buoys and beacons;
• establishment of a toll system.

“Etapa 2” concession period (8 years)

• maintenance dredging of the channel at the designed dimensions;
• maintenance of the buoys and beacons;
• Administration and exploitation of the toll system

Main Equipment

Cutter suction dredger AMAZONE
Trailing suction hopper dredger