Improvements on the horizon in New Bedford Harbor. Feds see what their money is buying.
On a tour of New Bedford Harbor on Tuesday, the administrator of the federal department that oversees federal programs to improve and modernize the nation’s maritime network saw for herself the progress on the city's North Terminal and plans for Leonard’s Wharf.
Rear Admiral Ann C. Phillips, U.S. Navy (Ret.), administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration, met with Mayor Jon Mitchell, New Bedford Port Authority Executive Director Gordon Carr and other officials for an update on the federally funding projects.
The North Terminal is nearly completed, and Mitchell said work on Leonard’s Wharf has started with actual construction expected to begin in January 2025.
Phillips said it’s exciting to see that the North Terminal is almost completed, and welcomed the opportunity to tour the harbor and see for herself how the federal funding is making a difference.
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“That’s the point, is to see that this money does accomplish something, it does make a difference, it does lead to a finished project, and it builds capacity for the city,” she said.
Phillips said she was fascinated to see the breadth and depth of the fishing industry from the number of vessels she saw on her harbor tour. She said it was also good to see the ongoing activity around the Vineyard Wind offshore wind project with all the barges moving in and out of the harbor.
Phillips said she also talked with Mitchell about the opportunities to build both industries and buy capacity for both with considerations for the needs of both.
Phillips also oversees the investment in ports and waterways made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which includes $2.25 billion to be awarded over the next five years through the Port Infrastructure Development Program and $25 million for the America’s Marine Highway Program.
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North Terminal is close to completion
Through a combination of federal, state and private investment, the project is expected to spur significant investment in the Port of New Bedford in the years to come.
It’s expected to increase the port’s infrastructure to support the offshore wind industry while also providing much-needed berthing space for commercial fishing vessels.
New Bedford received $15.4 million in MARAD funding for North Terminal improvements. The New Bedford Port Authority is leading this effort to create a safer and more efficient connection between the New Bedford Harbor and ground transportation systems in town.
The building project extends the North Terminal bulkhead in the upper harbor and backfills the new bulkhead with 97,000 cubic yards of clean, suitable material sourced from Cadmium (CAD) Cell 4.
Approximately 150,000 square feet of upland terminal space will be created across the area backfilled landward of the bulkhead.
It also completes the new CAD cell with 480,000 cubic yards with the capacity to receive contaminated dredge material from within the harbor and includes the dredging of approximately 25,000 cubic yards of contaminated material located in front of the North Terminal.
Leonard’s Wharf work will start soon
The New Bedford Port Authority submitted an application for the Leonard’s Wharf Rehabilitation and Extension Project in May 2023, according to Port Authority officials. Leonard’s Wharf originally served as a pier for whaling vessels.
Funds for the Port Infrastructure Development Program, a discretionary grant program administered by MARAD, are awarded competitively to projects that improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of infrastructure around, or within a port.
In Fiscal 2023, $662 million was available to make awards under the Fiscal Year 2023 PIDP grant program. Massachusetts received $24.4 million.
This federal funding, along with the State of Massachusetts commitment of $18.1 million, which was spearheaded by Gov. Maura Healey and Mitchell, with support of the New Bedford state legislative delegation, represents 97% of the project cost of approximately $44 million.
The rebuilding of Leonard’s Wharf by extending and elevating the structure is required to achieve the necessary level of functionality in the port and provide the resiliency needed from sea level rise due to climate change.
Standard-Times staff writer Kathryn Gallerani can be reached at kgallerani@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @kgallreporter. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Officials tour New Bedford Harbor; millions spent on improvements
