Donjon Marine Wins $24.7 Million Army Dredging Contract for NY-NJ Channels
Donjon Marine Co. LLC, based in Hillside, New Jersey, secured a firm-fixed-price award to dredge portions of the New York and New Jersey Channels, with work due by Nov. 3, 2026.
HILLSIDE, NEW JERSEY — Donjon Marine Co. LLC, a Hillside, New Jersey, marine services firm founded in 1964, won a $24.7 million Army contract to dredge portions of the New York and New Jersey Channels as announced on war.gov.
The firm-fixed-price award drew four bids solicited over the internet, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers obligated the full $24.7 million in fiscal 2026 civil operations and maintenance funds at the time of the award. Work will be performed in Carteret, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 3, 2026.
Maintenance dredging removes sediment that accumulates on channel bottoms, restoring the depth commercial ships need to move safely through shipping lanes. The company handles conventional and environmental dredging, marine salvage, marine transportation and demolition, and it operates the largest shipyard of its kind on the Great Lakes, according to tugboatinformation.com. Donjon serves customers throughout the northeastern United States, with other operations spanning the globe, according to tugboatinformation.com.
Deeper channels keep the Port of New York and New Jersey open to the largest container vessels, and the region’s importers, exporters and dockworkers depend on that access. Silted lanes force ships to lighten loads or wait for high tide, which raises costs that ripple into consumer goods. Federal taxpayers fund the work, while Donjon and its crews collect the contract revenue.
The award marks the first contract to Donjon Marine Co. LLC in 2026, lifting its total contract value for the year to $24.7 million, according to war.gov. It ranks as the 20th Department of Defense contract awarded in New Jersey during 2026. The sum falls short of the company’s record award of $215 million, yet it lands within the Army’s 2026 portfolio, between a year-to-date minimum of $9.1 million and a maximum near $53.9 billion.
Dredging the New York and New Jersey harbor has happened many times before. The Army Corps has maintained the channels for more than a century, and repeated deepening projects have pushed key lanes to 50 feet to accommodate larger post-Panamax vessels. Contractors like Donjon return regularly because sediment refills the channels within a few years of each pass.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, oversees the project as the contracting activity under identifier W912DS-26-C-A012. The next decision point tied to this award is the estimated completion date of Nov. 3, 2026, when the Corps evaluates whether the dredging meets contract specifications. No further procurement decision date has been announced.
The New York and New Jersey harbor has anchored American commerce as happened before. British and Dutch forces contested control of the lower harbor in the 17th century, and the Dutch surrendered New Amsterdam to an English fleet in 1664, renaming it New York. The waterway later carried the young republic’s trade, and by the 19th century the harbor ranked as the busiest in the nation. Those who controlled the channel, from colonial governors to modern port authorities, held the key to the region’s fortunes.
This contract represents the 1st contract awarded to Donjon Marine Co. LLC, in 2026, bringing the company’s total contract value for the year to $24,703,050. It is also the 20th Department of Defense contract awarded in New Jersey during 2026. While this is not the largest contract ever awarded to Donjon Marine Co. LLC, whose record stands at $215,000,000, it is notable within the Army portfolio. Specifically, it falls between the 2026 Army portfolio’s year-to-date minimum of $9,051,490 and maximum of $53,859,843,289. Overall, this award was announced among 4 Department of Defense contracts issued nationwide on July 30, 2026.
NewsFindr Chart Maker
Photo by NewsFindr Chart Maker