![\"State](\"https:\/\/fish-news.com\/cfn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/page-30-NB-terminal-groundbreaking-8723147489_3dab34b214_k.jpg\")
<\/a>State and congressional officials, led by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking on May 6 for the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal.
(Eric Haynes\/Governor\u2019s Office photo)<\/p><\/div>\n
The 28-acre facility is being built at the current site of the city\u2019s South Terminal on New Bedford harbor just inside the port\u2019s hurricane barrier.\u00a0 Quincy-based general contractor Cashman-Weeks NB began work on April 22 and is expected to finish in 2014.<\/p>\n
According to MassCEC, the $100 million project will involve the construction of a new coffer-dam style bulkhead capable of providing berthing space for large shipping vessels, including those delivering offshore wind components and the jack-up barges that will serve as construction vessels for offshore wind projects.<\/p>\n
\u201cInvesting in infrastructure will create jobs now and build a stronger commonwealth for the next generation,\u201d said Patrick.\u00a0 \u201cThis is how Massachusetts claims its place as a hub for a new American industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to Patrick and Barton, others participating in the groundbreaking included:\u00a0 Lt. Gov. Tim Murray; US Sen. Mo Cowan (D-MA); New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell; state Sen. Mark Montigny; state Energy and Environmental Affairs Sec. Rick Sullivan; state Rep. Antonio Cabral; state Rep. Chris Markey; New Bedford City Council President Bruce Duarte Jr.; and city Councilors Henry Bousquet and Joseph Lopes.<\/p>\n
They were joined by Greater New Bedford Vocational and Technical High School Senior Jamil Gimenez and by Swift Elementary School fifth-grader Ian Medeiros, who presented the governor with a model of a wind turbine.<\/p>\n
The young men symbolically represented those who will benefit from the job opportunities the port expansion and offshore renewable energy industry are expected to create in the coming years.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ships up to 500′<\/b><\/p>\n
The new facility will allow New Bedford harbor to receive and service ships up to 500′ in length, increasing the city\u2019s competitiveness as a medium-sized Northeast port.<\/p>\n
It also will \u201cput the port at the forefront of what is expected to become a robust renewable energy supply chain industry,\u201d MassCEC said.<\/p>\n
Among the major construction elements are:<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u00a0Dredging and removing contaminated sediments in the harbor to create a 30′-deep channel that can accommodate deepwater vessels;<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u00a0Constructing a confined aquatic disposal (CAD) cell offshore for the disposal and safe containment of any contaminated soils;<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u00a0Constructing a 1,000′-long extension to the existing South Terminal bulkhead to support large-vessel berthing and heavy shoreside cranes capable of unloading cargo and \u201clarge- to super-sized\u201d industrial components; and<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u00a0Placing the clean sediment generated from the dredging operation behind the bulkhead to create additional acres of land that will be available for staging commercial-scale offshore wind projects.<\/p>\n
The construction project already is impacting navigation in New Bedford harbor.\u00a0 Port operators issued an advisory in January notifying mariners that fish barriers had been placed at the south end of South Terminal and at CAD Cell #3, which is located 1,000′ north of Pope\u2019s Island.\u00a0 These \u201cbubble curtains\u201d are intended to keep fish out of the construction area while allowing vessels to safely pass over them.<\/p>\n
More information on the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal is available on the MassCEC website at <www.masscec.com<\/a>> and on the Port of New Bedford website at <www.portofnewbedford.org<\/a>>.\u00a0 \/cfn\/<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Back to the June 2013 Issue of CFN<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\n