GREAT Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation, the largest provider of dredging services in the US, has won a contract worth $57 million for the East Hidd Housing Project in Bahrain.

Great Lakes, which is a major provider of commercial and industrial demolition and remediation services, will reclaim 618 acres of the Arabian Gulf on which the Bahrain government will construct additional social housing for its citizens.

Great Lakes’ Bahraini joint venture partner Nass Contracting Company will install slope protection around the reclaimed area, which represents 40 per cent of the contract value.

Great Lakes started operations on the project last month and dredging work will continue through most of 2012.

The East Hidd project will be the ninth major land reclamation project undertaken by the company in Bahrain.

This will be the first major project for the recently upgraded cutter suction dredge (CSD) Ohio. Great Lakes made a significant investment in converting the former dustpan dredge to a world-class heavy-duty rock cutter suction dredge. With its new high cutter and swing power machinery, the CSD Ohio is well suited for capital and reclamation projects prevalent in the Middle East. This vessel will be one of the most powerful dredges in its fleet, with 4,500 hp on the cutter.

Three in-hull dredge pumps allow the vessel to convey slurry up to five miles and longer when used in conjunction with additional booster pumps.

David Simonelli, president of the dredging operations, said: "East Hidd is the ideal project to showcase the capabilities of the newly-upgraded CSD Ohio. Great Lakes’ engineering and technical teams along with the captain and crew of the CSD Ohio did an outstanding job upgrading the vessel to meet growing land reclamation needs."