Great Lakes Dredge to restore Louisiana Island

   Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. (Oak Brook, IL) has received a contract from the state of Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to restore and reinforce the shoreline of Scofield Island, a barrier island in Plaquemines Parish. Under the contract, Great Lakes will reclaim sand from sources in the Mississippi River and deposit the sand at Scofield Island, which has suffered from accelerated erosion since Hurricane Lili made landfill in October 2002 and created a breach in the shoreline. Development pressures have also contributed to the erosion. The Scofield Island contract, which has a value of $46.5 million, is Great Lakes’ second coastal restoration project awarded within the last 12 months, and the company anticipates more such contracts in the next few months as Louisiana takes steps to restore its coastline and barrier islands.