Cianbro Starts Work On $17 million Project for Wharf Restoration at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

Cianbro recently began work on the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The firm was awarded $17 million in incremental funds under a federal contract. Photo courtesy Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

Pittsfield, Maine-based Cianbro Corp. recently began structural repair and restoration work on the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

The firm was awarded $17 million in incremental funds under a federal contract before beginning work on Oct. 23, according to a spokesman for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic. Located in Kittery, Maine on the southern boundary of Maine near Portsmouth, N.H., the shipyard is responsible for the overhaul, repair, and modernization of US Navy submarines.

The modification work at the shipyard’s Berth 11C follows a $28.8 million contract Cianbro awarded by the U.S. Navy in November 2016 for similar structural work at Berth 11A and 11B. The most recent award brings the total value of the contract to nearly $46 million.

“The work will repair existing support structures that will restore the load-carrying capacity of the crane rail system along the waterfront and provide corrosion protection of the wharf to allow continued optimal use of the facility,” the spokesman said.

He says restoration of the crane rail “will allow for unrestricted use of 60-ton portal cranes at Berth 11, used to support overhaul and maintenance of the Navy's fast-attack submarine fleet. The command builds and maintains sustainable facilities, delivers utilities and services, and provides Navy expeditionary and combat force capabilities.”

In a joint statement, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King said, “the work done at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard has a direct impact on our national security and this contract for Cianbro will help make sure that the shipyard can continue to carry out its mission efficiently and safely.”

Under the fixed-price construction modification contract, the work is expected to be completed by July, 2020.

Johanna Knapschaefer, ENR’s New England Special Correspondent, has been writing about trends in design and construction of buildings, bridges, tunnels and other infrastructure for more than a decade. She also profiles award-winning industry leaders and delves into broader construction issues such as workforce training, worker safety and health, climate change remediation and emerging offshore wind and tidal energy developments. Over the past two decades, her articles have appeared in Architectural Record, BusinessWeek, the Boston Globe, American Banker, Modern Metals, BusinessNH Magazine, Pittsburgh Magazine and many other publications. Johanna is fluent in Japanese, and taught English and academic writing in the Science and Engineering Department of Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, while living in Japan for eight years.

When not writing, Johanna enjoys mountain climbing, singing and playing her Spanish guitar.