An aerial rendering of the Gwangyang Port Myodo Waterway lane-straightening project. [BS Hanyang]
An aerial rendering of the Gwangyang Port Myodo Waterway lane-straightening project. [BS Hanyang]

BS Hanyang announced Thursday that it has been selected as the preferred bidder for the detailed design of the Gwangyang (Yeocheon) Port Myodo Waterway lane-straightening project, commissioned by the Yeosu Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

The contract was secured through a consortium BS Hanyang formed with Taeyoung Engineering & Construction, Daewoo Engineering & Construction, Dongbu and HJ Shipbuilding & Construction. The total project cost, including value-added tax, is approximately 195.7 billion won ($139 million).

The project aims to ease congestion in the shipping lanes near Myodo-dong, Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. It calls for widening the navigable channel through the Myodo Waterway — a 2,760-meter stretch serving the Yeosu National Industrial Complex and the Gwangyang Port area — from 185 meters to 300 meters, while dredging the waterway to a depth of 10.5 meters.

Once complete, the improved channel will accommodate vessels of up to 17,000 deadweight tons, enhancing navigational safety and easing congestion for ships and cargo.

The project will proceed under a design-build turnkey contract, with a construction period of 70 months from the ground-breaking date. BS Hanyang plans to begin preparatory work — including the installation of marine pollution barriers — followed by a 90-day detailed design phase, with the aim of signing a full contract and breaking ground as early as December.

BS Hanyang secured the contract on the strength of its track record in marine and port construction, including the Yeosu Myodo port redevelopment, a liquid cargo pier in Ulsan and a private-sector grain terminal project at Busan New Port. The latest award follows earlier wins such as the Busan New Port grain terminal private investment project and a berth facility construction project at Aewol Port's east pier in Jeju, continuing the company's expansion in the port infrastructure sector.

"Factors reflected in the evaluation included securing safe berthing conditions, precision geotechnical review-based excavation methods and pollution-prevention design," a BS Hanyang official said. "We will carry out construction underpinned by a robust safety management system."

Meanwhile, BS Hanyang is focusing on strengthening its project management capabilities and financial soundness on the back of its construction order performance. The company is diversifying its order portfolio across private, public and social overhead capital projects to maintain a stable backlog.


hwshin@heraldcorp.com