Redwood City rebuilding 2 wharves

Artist Rendition

   The Port of Redwood City in South San Francisco Bay said it expects construction to begin soon on a project to modernize two wharves.
   The port commission has awarded a $13.9 million contract for the job to Manson Construction Co.
   The commission approved and the city council ratified private placement of $10 million private placement in 20-year revenue bonds with GE Government Finance, Inc. to help pay for the project.
   Construction is expected to last through December 2013.
   The project will reconstruct and modernize Wharves 1 and 2 and the upland areas that support the wharves so the port can better serve its existing and projected customers while remaining flexible enough to respond to changing market conditions. 
   Cargo volume at the Port of Redwood City for the first three quarters of the just ended fiscal year that began July 1, 2011 was 965,033 metric tons, 68 percent more than in the first three quarters of the previous fiscal year. Sand and aggregate accounted for about 64 percent of that total.
   The project’s first phase includes demolition of the wharves and associated piles, demolition of Warehouse 1, removing rail between the warehouse and wharves, and construction of a new 426-foot long by 58-foot wide prestressed concrete wharf with two 30-foot wide access ramps to shore.
   The project includes interconnecting walkways and catwalks between the new wharf and existing dolphins, fender system, bollards, and other improvements to accommodate the range of vessels expected to call at the port. It also includes a new 800-square-foot stevedore/longshore building, new area lighting, upgraded electrical utilities, a 920-foot long seawall, new road, parking area, and drainage system.
   In the second phase an existing conveyor/hopper system will be be relocated further south along the wharves and the existing aggregate shipping, handling, and storage operations would be realigned in order to reduce berth conflicts and increase operational efficiency and flexibility at the wharves.
   The port is also making improvements to public access areas in an area between the port’s marina and fishing pier. – Chris Dupin