Everett Commission authorises renovation phase two

The body authorised staff to seek construction bids for the venture in late October, marking a key milestone in its endeavour to make good on its top strategic initiative to modernise the port, which is located near Seattle.

The South Terminal’s dock was originally built in the 1970s for log operations and can currently only accommodate 500 pounds per square foot (psf), despite modern cargo operations needing a minimum of 1,000 psf.

With 140 feet of the 700-foot dock structure being strengthened as part of phase one of the Modernisation project in 2015, phase two of the multi-million-dollar venture will see the remaining 560 feet of the structure reinforced and electrical upgrades made at the wharf.

When completed, the dock will be able to handle two 100-foot, gauge rail-mounted container cranes and provide vaults for shore power.

The bid package for phase two of the venture is expected to be put out to tender in late November, with building work expected to last from April 2018 to December 2019.

“This is the largest capital project the port has undertaken since the construction of Mount Baker Terminal in 2005,” said Les Reardanz, chief executive of the Port of Everett.

“Staff have been doing a great job thinking strategically to phase, finance and permit this project in a way that delivers this project by December 2019.

“I would also like to thank the important partnership of our state and federal partners in Congress, the US Department of Transportation, Washington State Department of Transportation and our permitting agencies for their continued prioritisation and investment in the South Terminal Wharf Modernisation project.”

The port’s capital improvement project, along with a double rail siding currently being built for the port, will ensure that its facilities are prepared to support the next generation of over-dimensional cargo, including aerospace parts for the new Boeing 777X series of planes coming on line in late 2018.

The South Terminal project has been awarded $22m of funding, including a $10m Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant, a $1.8m Local FASTLANE Grant, a $5m State Rail Bank Loan and $5.2m of Rail Rehabilitation Innovation Financing.