Martín Peña Channel restoration enters pre-dredging phase.

The scope of work begun Thursday -- which is estimated to take five years to complete -- includes the development of a temporary staging area on grounds belonging to the Roberto Clemente Sports City, the preparation of aquatic disposal pits within the San José Lagoon, protective measures for the Moscoso and Barbosa bridges, and the dredging and channelization of portions of the Martín Peña Channel.

By THE STAR STAFF

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced on Thursday the commencement of Phase 1 of Contract 3 of the Caño Martín Peña Ecosystem Restoration Project, involving an investment of $57.4 million.

“Today, we take a historic step with the start of Phase 1 of Contract 3 of the Caño Martín Peña Ecosystem Restoration Project,” González Colón said in written remarks.

The contract was awarded on Sept. 30, 2025, to Novel Construction LLC, utilizing funds derived from the federal infrastructure investment law approved in 2021.

The scope of work includes the development of a temporary staging area on grounds belonging to the Roberto Clemente Sports City, the preparation of aquatic disposal pits within the San José Lagoon, protective measures for the Moscoso and Barbosa bridges, and the dredging and channelization of portions of the Martín Peña Channel (Caño Martín Peña).

The work is estimated to take five years to complete, extending through 2030.

The project entails the dredging and channelization of 2.2 miles of the channel to reconnect the San José Lagoon with San Juan Bay and to improve the estuarine ecosystem.

“The restoration of the Caño Martín Peña will continue to change lives,” González Colón said. “As resident commissioner, I made a commitment to champion this project and to fight to ensure it had the necessary resources to become a reality.”

The governor noted that during her tenure as resident commissioner in the U.S. Congress, she secured over $163 million in federal funds for the project’s construction phase.

Awilda Camacho Llanos, president of the Group of Eight Communities Adjacent to the Caño Martín Peña (G-8), highlighted the community’s struggle to drive the project forward and to safeguard the residents’ right to remain in their homes.

“The G-8 has been the driving force behind this project, defending the residents’ right to stay in the face of the threat of displacement,” Camacho Llanos said.

Mario Núñez Mercado, executive director of the ENLACE Project Corporation for the Caño Martín Peña, stated that the commencement of work will allow for progress toward the revitalization of the waterway.

“With the start of these works, we are strengthening the infrastructure necessary to ensure that the dredging and revitalization of our waterway finally become a tangible reality that transforms the quality of life for our people,” he said.

The project was originally authorized in 2007 under the federal Water Resources Development Act, at a cost of $150 million. Subsequently, the authorized amount was increased to $255.8 million through federal legislation enacted in 2020.

The project has two non-federal sponsors: the island Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and the ENLACE Project Corp. The cost-sharing arrangement consists of 65% federal funds and 35% non-federal funds.