CLEVELAND – July 10, 2025 – A $4 million construction contract to extend the life of the Port’s current dredge repository was approved yesterday by the Port board of directors.

The contract with Mark Haynes Construction, Inc., will extend the life of a dredge sediment repository north of Burke Lakefront Airport through 2029. The Port funding is expected to be paid back over time through tipping fees to dredging contractors, which are under contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Port’s Sediment Processing and Management Facility is the only facility permitted to receive the 250,000 cubic yards of sediment dredged each year from the Cleveland Harbor and Cuyahoga River, an action which keeps shipping lanes open. At the facility, the Port beneficially harvests and recycles much of the dredge material.

Bids from two contractors were received for the work. The Mark Haynes bid was deemed the lowest responsive and responsible bid.

“This will buy us time until CHEERS is permitted and that area is ready to accept dredged sediment,” said Matt Wenham, Chief of Engineering & Capital Development at the Port.

CHEERS — the Cleveland Harbor Eastern Embayment Resilience Strategy — is, a bold initiative to reshape Cleveland’s East Side waterfront. The project will repurpose sediment dredged from the Cuyahoga River to create a resilient shoreline that protects vital infrastructure while expanding public access to Lake Erie.