The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a California-based contractor have started removing mud, sand and other materials from the Cape Henry Channel as part of a larger project supporting the Ports of Baltimore and Virginia.

About 2.4 million cubic yards (1.8 million cubic meters) of material is being dredged from the federal navigation channel at the entrance of the Chesapeake Bay, the Army Corps’ Baltimore District said in a news release Monday. The $14.8 million contract was awarded at the end of September, and the work is expected to be done by late spring.

Maintenance dredging of federal channels is necessary so vessels can safely navigate through them and the ports can stay open for business, according to the release.

One of the largest hopper dredges in the U.S., owned by contractor The Dutra Group, is among the equipment being used. The material is being deposited at the nearby Dam Neck Ocean Placement Site, the same location used in previous dredging cycles.