Charleston, SC - A major new construction project for the South Carolina State Ports Authority's (SCSPA) new facility at the former Navy Base in the Port of Charleston is now out for public bid.
The SCSPA is seeking bids for the construction of a 5,000-foot-long containment structure built out approximately 850 feet from the existing shoreline to the main shipping channel. Working from the waterside, crews will dredge approximately 880,000 cubic yards of material, install the steel pipe and sheet pile wall and construct a rock berm of approximately 290,000 cubic yards of rock. The containment structure will be built in preparation for the placement of fill material in the tideland area of the new, 280-acre container terminal.
The containment wall project is expected to cost approximately $60 million, but competitive bids are anticipated. Fourteen companies have placed their names on the pre-bid list. The project will be funded internally by the SCSPA without entering the credit market at this time.
"This signals to our customers that, while we're being mindful of the current state of trade, we are focused on the long term success of the Port of Charleston," said John F. Hassell III, interim president & CEO of the SCSPA. "With port expansion at the Navy Base, along with other capacity enhancements, Charleston will be able to handle growth for many years to come."
Construction of the containment wall is expected to begin in the summer of 2009 and take 15 months to complete. The project is an essential next step to ensure that the terminal's first phase stays on schedule for a 2014 completion, which also coincides with the opening of the new, larger locks at the Panama Canal.
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