Manson Awarded $12.9 Million to Dredge Oakland Harbor for Army Corps
The Seattle marine contractor beat one rival for the $12.9 million firm-fixed-price job to keep the Oakland Inner and Outer Harbor navigable, with completion set for Jan. 12, 2027.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON — Manson Construction Co., the Seattle marine contractor building U.S. waterways since 1905, received a $12.9 million Army contract to dredge Oakland’s harbor.
The firm-fixed-price award, valued at $12,909,775, covers the Oakland Inner and Outer Harbor fiscal 2026 maintenance dredging project, according to war.gov. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers solicited bids online and received two, the agency said. Work will run in Oakland, California, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 12, 2027.
“Building the nation’s waterways and marine infrastructure since 1905,” the company states on its website, describing a legacy that began as a small pile-driving business on Seattle’s waterfront, according to mansonconstruction.com.
The deal matters because the Port of Oakland ranks among the busiest container gateways on the U.S. West Coast, and silt buildup narrows the channels that deep-draft ships rely on. Maintenance dredging removes accumulated sediment so vessels can enter and leave at full load. The Army Corps gains continued navigability, while shippers and the regional economy depend on the cleared channels.
Manson is an employee-owned firm with six locations and five marine yards across North America, according to pilebuck.com. The company operates 19 derrick barges and eight hopper and cutter suction dredges, and its fleet regularly services the Gulf, East and West coasts. It employs about 800 people and reported annual revenue near $713 million, according to leadnear.com.
The Corps of Engineers obligated fiscal 2026 civil construction funds of $12.9 million at the time of the award, according to war.gov. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office in San Francisco is the contracting activity under identifier W912P7-26-C-A019.
For the average reader, harbor dredging shapes the cost and flow of imported goods. Deeper, cleared channels let larger ships move cargo more efficiently, which supports supply chains that reach store shelves nationwide.
Has this happened before? This has happened before. The award marks the third contract to Manson in 2026, lifting its year-to-date total to $65,389,425, and it is the 16th Department of Defense contract awarded in Washington state this year. The sum trails the company’s record $89.4 million award. It ranked among nine Department of Defense awards announced nationwide on July 13, 2026.
The next decision rests with the Army Corps San Francisco district, which will oversee performance and certify completion. Officials have not announced a formal review date beyond the estimated finish of Jan. 12, 2027.
Dredging Oakland’s harbor extends a long relationship between marine builders and the Corps that predates modern container ships. Manson deepened channels in Los Angeles and Long Beach using mechanical clamshell and hydraulic cutter suction methods, according to pilebuck.com. The company also built the SR 520 Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, once named the longest floating bridge in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records, and installed foundations for the Block Island Wind Farm, the first offshore wind project in the United States. Those projects made Manson one of the largest private dredging operators serving federal waterways, a role it now carries into Oakland.
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Note: Chart generated by NewsFindr for Manson Construction Co. on July 13, 2026 at 5:18 PM ET