Port Everett to solicit bids for South Terminal expansion

Phase II of the $35 million South Terminal Modernization project, construction of which is slated to begin in April 2018, will upgrade the facility’s dock structure and electrical system, the Pacific Northwest port said in a statement.    The Port of Everett Commission will begin soliciting construction bids for the port’s South Terminal Modernization project, the Pacific Northwest seaport announced last week.
   The South Terminal was originally built in the 1970’s for log operations, and in its current state, can only accommodate 500 pounds per square foot (psf) while modern cargo operations require a minimum of 1,000 psf, the port explained.
   Phase II of the $36 million South Terminal Modernization Project will strengthen 560 feet of the 700-foot South Terminal dock structure and upgrade the electrical system at the wharf. The port previously strengthened 140 feet of dock structure in 2015 and is also currently improving the double rail siding at the terminal.
   The port expects the bid package to be forthcoming before December 2017, with construction slated for April 2018 through December 2019. Upon completion of the improvements, the dock will be able to accommodate two, 100-foot gauge rail-mounted container cranes and provide the vaults for shorepower, the port stated. The improvements will ensure the port’s facilities can logistically support “over-dimensional cargo, including aerospace parts for the new 777X coming on line in late-2018,” the port noted.
   “This is a bold and momentous step toward the goal that the Port Commission set forward nearly two years ago to modernize its Seaport to support the industry shipping trends,” Port of Everett CEO Les Reardanz said in a statement. “This is the largest capital project the Port has undertaken since the construction of Mount Baker Terminal in 2005. Staff has been doing a great job thinking strategically to phase, finance and permit this project in a way that delivers this project by December 2019.”
   The South Terminal project has received $22 million in state and federal funding, including a $10 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant, $1.8 million Local FASTLANE Grant, $5 million State Rail Bank Loan, and $5.2 million Rail Rehabilitation Innovation Financing (RRIF).
   “The Port of Everett supports nearly $30 BILLION worth of U.S. exports annually, the largest customs district in Washington State,” the port stated. “Its regional transportation network supports more than 35,000 jobs and generates $313 million in state and local tax revenues. This significant economic impact would not be possible without investment in critical freight infrastructure.”