Port of Albany upgrades aging wharf

Port of Albany upgrades aging wharf    New York's Port of Albany will begin a $7.6 million construction project to replace about 500 feet of its wharf system, first built in the late 1920s.
   'Ships are larger and cargo is heavier than it was back when the Port of Albany was first constructed, placing a tremendous strain on the old wooden wharf system,' said Albany Mayor Gerald Jennings, in a statement. 'This important project will help us continue to grow our business.'
   The competitively bid project was awarded to the lowest bidder, C.D. Perry & Sons of Troy, N.Y. The nearly 80-year-old timber piles, fender system, and supporting structures will be removed and replaced with modern steel piles, driven into bedrock, and a new fender system with concrete and asphalt platform, as well as new rail lines.
   'Some of the heavy lift cargo such as generators routinely shipped out of the port weight in excess of 1 million pounds each, which places a tremendous strain on the aging wharf system,' Jennings said. 'Once this project is complete, the port will be able to accommodate three additionally heavy lift ships which currently can only dock on the new sections of the wharf.