Seismic upgrades at Bangor dry dock complete after 6 months

Peiyu Lin, Kitsap Sun
·2 min read
A group from the program management office for the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine visits the dry dock at Trident Refit Facility Bangor (TRFB) on Oct. 26, 2022. The visit centered on the upgrades needed in order to be ready to maintain the Columbia-class submarines scheduled to enter service in the coming years. TRFB employs more than 2,000 civilian and military personnel in support of the nation’s strategic deterrent mission by repairing, incrementally overhauling, and modernizing ballistic missile subs in the Pacific Fleet.

BANGOR — It took six months for the Navy to complete the seismic mitigation work at Trident Refit Facility, Bangor (TRFB), after submarine operations at the dry dock at Delta Pier in Bangor were suspended in January due to concerns raised following an annual assessment.

The mitigation work to repair the full length of the Bangor dock walls has been completed, the Navy said in a statement on Thursday. The Navy started the work in mid-February, and the dock was recertified on August 10.

Supporting the nation's strategic deterrent mission around the world, TRFB personnel repairs and modernizes the Navy's ballistic missile submarines in the Pacific Fleet.

More: Bangor facility preps for new sub: 'We have to be masters of the craft the day it arrives'

“The upgrades done at Delta Pier will provide the Navy with critical sustainment operations, for our submarines, in the years ahead,” said Capt. Mike Eberlein, commanding officer of TRFB.

“For the past six months, thousands of personnel have dedicated themselves to ensuring all three dry docks were safely and efficiently brought back into operation, so we could continue our mission,” Capt. JD Crinklaw, the commander of PSNS & IMF said, described the completion of the work in Bangor as an "incredible milestone".

The dry dock in Bangor was the last dry dock in Kitsap County that was suspended by the Navy in January after seismic concerns were raised and required short-term repairs to strengthen the dry dock walls. The other two dry docks were Dry Dock 4 and 5 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Dry Dock 4 was recertified on April 28 and Dry Dock 5 was recertified on June 30.

Workers help guide a hydraulic anchor drilling rig as part of the seismic mitigation effort at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on Feb. 16, 2023.
Workers help guide a hydraulic anchor drilling rig as part of the seismic mitigation effort at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on Feb. 16, 2023.

More on the seismic work and months of suspension at three dry docks in Kitsap (January to July 2023):

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Seismic work at Trident Refit Facility, Bangor dry dock complete