U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) Acting Administrator Chip Jaenichen joined Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo, Sen. Tom Ada, local official and port representatives to break ground today on the final stage of the Port of Guam modernization project. This $50 million port improvement project, administered by MARAD on behalf of the Department of Defense (DOD), will double the facility’s capacity and improve freight efficiency, the company said in its press release.
“This investment in the Port of Guam is a perfect example of the kind of transportation investment President Obama called for to improve our nation’s infrastructure,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Ultimately, the Port’s increased freight efficiencies will work to serve an expanded consumer market and enhance economic opportunity for all of Island’s residents.”
When complete, the Port of Guam Expansion Project will create a new area for shipping containers, improve existing container and bulk cargo facilities, essentially doubling the capacity of the port and improve the entry/exit gate area which will increase the efficiency and speed of cargo moving through the port. The first stage of the project, completed in January, added upgrades to an existing building, including a secure cargo storage area, new large rollup doors and the construction of additional space. The port project is on budget and on schedule to be completed in 2015.
“Modernizing the port to meet the island’s future needs is vital to the people of Guam. Virtually all goods coming to and leaving Guam move through the port,” said Jaenichen.
Guam is a U.S territory in the central Pacific with important United States military bases. The port is designated by DOD as one of 17 key “strategic” commercial ports across the country. This project will meet the demands of an expanding military presence on Guam, as well as the island’s commercial growth for decades to come.