The Boskalis-Dredging International consortium has handed over the dredging work for the Martín García channel, reported the head of the Uruguayan delegation to the Río de la Plata Administrative Commission (CARP), Felipe Michelini. The agency has now begun the process to verify whether the depth of 34 feet (10,36 meters) was reached in soft bottoms and 38 feet (11,58 meters) in hard bottoms, as established.
One year after the contract was signed at the Buenos Aires branch of the organization made up of Uruguay and Argentina, the Belgian-Dutch consortium Boskalis-Dredging International handed over the dredging work of the Martín García channel to the CARP on Friday 1.2.2019, Michelini indicated to the Secretariat of Institutional Communication of the eastern country.
The Martín García Channel is located in the common waters of the Río de la Plata and extends from the mouth of the Uruguay River to its meeting with the access channel to the port of Buenos Aires.
CARP will pay $128,9 million, the lowest amount offered by the consortium for dredging to a depth of 34 feet (10,36 meters) in soft bottoms and 38 feet (11,58 meters) in hard bottoms.
Certification
Until this Friday, February 15, "we are going through a certification stage by the CARP, in which we confirmed that the channel is indeed within the agreed depths," said Michelini. This technical procedure allows us to verify that the first stage of the contract with the consortium was completed satisfactorily.
Michelini said that the next CARP plenary, which brings together delegates from both countries on a monthly basis, will take place next week in Buenos Aires. In this context, “the reports from the technical services will be evaluated, in relation to the connotations of the works, as well as their legal and accounting aspects.”
He also explained that "the certification consists of the studies presented by the consortium awarded the contract, those carried out by the commission itself and those arising from the hiring of third parties that certify that the canal is, in fact, in the agreed conditions."
Once the Martín García canal is certified, its use will be free for vessels and the restrictions that were in force during the period in which the work was being carried out will be overcome. In this regard, the commission will inform the operators who use the canal of the new conditions in which it is found, he said.
Maintenance
«The maintenance phase of the canal will then begin for a period of four years, with the possibility of an extension for an additional period of five years.», Michelini added. The Uruguayan representative said that the channel already has an adequate signaling system, the maintenance of which is the responsibility of the organization.
Aduana News is the first Argentine customs newspaper to launch its digital version. With 20 years of experience, its publications and initiatives aim to provide the most relevant knowledge on customs issues in order to contribute to safe trade in the region.
