Houston awards contracts for Bayport terminal

Houston awards contracts for Bayport terminal    The Port of Houston Authority commission has approved a recommendation to award a $37.9-million contract to Zachry Construction Corp. for construction of the container yard and associated infrastructure at “phase 1A” of the future Bayport container and cruise terminal. The contract reflects modifications to the project scope, including a revised concrete specification and an option to delete construction features associated with temporary gate facilities.
   The port’s commission has also approved a recommendation to award a contract to Konecranes VLC Corp. for an estimated $10.2 million for the purchase of seven container yard cranes. The cranes will be utilized at the port’s Barbours cut container terminal and the Bayport container facility.
   An official groundbreaking ceremony for the long-delayed Bayport container and cruise terminal was held June 21. To be built out in phases over 15 to 20 years, the Bayport terminal will have a maximum capacity of about 2.3 million TEUs a year — a 200 percent increase over the port’s current container handling capacity.
   In a separate development, the Harris county commissioners court and Houston city council have reappointed Jim Edmonds as chairman of the Port of Houston Authority commission. Port commissioners in Houston serve two-year terms without pay.