================================================================================

                                   FORM T-1

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C.  20549

                           STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY
                  UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 OF A
                   CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE

                     CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE
                     ELIGIBILITY OF A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO
                       SECTION 305(b)(2)           |__|

                            ----------------------

                              THE BANK OF NEW YORK
              (Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)

New York                                              13-5160382
(State of incorporation                               (I.R.S. employer
if not a U.S. national bank)                          identification no.)

One Wall Street, New York, N.Y.                       10286
(Address of principal executive offices)              (Zip code)

                             ----------------------

                     GREAT LAKES DREDGE & DOCK CORPORATION
              (Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)

Delaware                                              13-3634726
(State or other jurisdiction of                       (I.R.S. employer
incorporation or organization)                        identification no.)

                        Table of Additional Registrants
                        -------------------------------


 
                                                      
Great Lakes Dredge                       New Jersey         36-1163930
 & Dock Company
Great Lakes International, Inc.          Delaware           36-3015839
Dawson Dredging Company                  Delaware           36-3503893
Gates Construction Corp.                 New Jersey         22-1539854
Fifty-Three Dredging                     New Jersey         36-3177787
 Corporation



2122 York Road
Oak Brook, Illinois                                   60521
(Address of principal executive offices)              (Zip code)

                             ______________________

              Series B 11-1/4% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2008
                      (Title of the indenture securities)

================================================================================

 
1.   General information.  Furnish the following information as to the Trustee:

     (a) Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which it
         is subject.



- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Name                                        Address
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   
 
   Superintendent of Banks of the State of    2 Rector Street, New York,
   New York                                   N.Y.  10006, and Albany, N.Y. 12203
 
   Federal Reserve Bank of New York           33 Liberty Plaza, New York,
                                              N.Y.  10045
 
   Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation      Washington, D.C.  20429
 
   New York Clearing House Association        New York, New York  10005


     (b) Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.

     Yes.

2.   Affiliations with Obligor.

     If the obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each such
     affiliation.

     None.

16.  List of Exhibits.

     Exhibits identified in parentheses below, on file with the Commission, are
     incorporated herein by reference as an exhibit hereto, pursuant to Rule 7a-
     29 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the "Act") and 17 C.F.R.
     229.10(d).

     1. A copy of the Organization Certificate of The Bank of New York (formerly
        Irving Trust Company) as now in effect, which contains the authority to
        commence business and a grant of powers to exercise corporate trust
        powers. (Exhibit 1 to Amendment No. 1 to Form T-1 filed with
        Registration Statement No. 33-6215, Exhibits 1a and 1b to Form T-1 filed
        with Registration Statement No. 33-21672 and Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed
        with Registration Statement No. 33-29637.)

     4. A copy of the existing By-laws of the Trustee.  (Exhibit 4 to Form T-1
        filed with Registration Statement No. 33-31019.)

                                      -2-

 
     6. The consent of the Trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Act.
        (Exhibit 6 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 33-44051.)

     7. A copy of the latest report of condition of the Trustee published
        pursuant to law or to the requirements of its supervising or examining
        authority.

                                      -3-

 
                                   SIGNATURE



   Pursuant to the requirements of the Act, the Trustee, The Bank of New York, a
corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, has
duly caused this statement of eligibility to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in The City of New York, and State
of New York, on the 25th day of September, 1998.


                                       THE BANK OF NEW YORK



                                       By:     /s/ MARY BETH A. LEWICKI
                                           -------------------------------
                                           Name:  MARY BETH A. LEWICKI
                                           Title: ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT

                                      -4-

 
                                 Exhibit 7

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      Consolidated Report of Condition of

                              THE BANK OF NEW YORK

                    of 48 Wall Street, New York, N.Y. 10286
                     And Foreign and Domestic Subsidiaries,

a member of the Federal Reserve System, at the close of business March 31, 1998,
published in accordance with a call made by the Federal Reserve Bank of this
District pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Reserve Act.


 
                                          Dollar Amounts
ASSETS                                     in Thousands
                                       
Cash and balances due from depos-
  itory institutions:
  Noninterest-bearing balances and
   currency and coin....................     $ 6,397,993
  Interest-bearing balances.............       1,138,362
Securities:
  Held-to-maturity securities...........       1,062,074
  Available-for-sale securities.........       4,167,240
Federal funds sold and Securities pur-
  chased under agreements to resell.....         391,650
Loans and lease financing
  receivables:
  Loans and leases, net of unearned
    income ...................36,538,242
  LESS: Allowance for loan and
    lease losses ................631,725
  LESS: Allocated transfer risk
    reserve............................0
  Loans and leases, net of unearned
    income, allowance, and reserve......      35,906,517
Assets held in trading accounts.........       2,145,149
Premises and fixed assets (including
  capitalized leases)...................         663,928
Other real estate owned.................          10,895
Investments in unconsolidated
  subsidiaries and associated
  companies.............................         237,991
Customers' liability to this bank on
  acceptances outstanding...............         992,747
Intangible assets.......................       1,072,517
Other assets............................       1,643,173
                                             -----------
Total assets............................     $55,830,236
                                             ===========
 
LIABILITIES
Deposits:
  In domestic offices...................     $24,849,054
  Noninterest-bearing ........10,011,422
  Interest-bearing ...........14,837,632
  In foreign offices, Edge and
  Agreement subsidiaries, and IBFs......      15,319,002
  Noninterest-bearing ...........707,820
  Interest-bearing ...........14,611,182
Federal funds purchased and Securities
  sold under agreements to repurchase...       1,906,066
Demand notes issued to the U.S.
  Treasury..............................         215,985
Trading liabilities.....................       1,591,288
Other borrowed money:
  With remaining maturity of one year
    or less.............................       1,991,119
  With remaining maturity of more than
    one year through three years........               0
  With remaining maturity of more than
    three years.........................          25,574
Bank's liability on acceptances exe-
  cuted and outstanding.................         998,145
Subordinated notes and debentures.......       1,314,000
Other liabilities.......................       2,421,281
                                             -----------
Total liabilities.......................      50,631,514
                                             -----------
 
EQUITY CAPITAL
Common stock............................       1,135,284
Surplus.................................         731,319
Undivided profits and capital
  reserves..............................       3,328,050
Net unrealized holding gains
  (losses) on available-for-sale
  securities............................          40,198
Cumulative foreign currency transla-
  tion adjustments......................     (    36,129)
                                             -----------
Total equity capital....................       5,198,722
                                             -----------
Total liabilities and equity capital ...     $55,830,236
                                             ===========
 

   I, Robert E. Keilman, Senior Vice President and Comptroller of the above-
named bank do hereby declare that this Report of Condition has been prepared in
conformance with the instructions issued by the Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System and is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

                                                            Robert E. Keilman

   We, the undersigned directors, attest to the correctness of this Report of
Condition and declare that it has been examined by us and to the best of our
knowledge and belief has been prepared in conformance with the instructions
issued by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and is true and
correct.

             
   Thomas A. Renyi    | 
   Alan R. Griffith   |    Directors
   J. Carter Bacot    | 
              
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------