$30 Million Upgrade at Naval Station Newport Wharf is Completed

NEWPORT, RI—A $30 million upgrade of the U.S. Coast Guard wharf at Naval Station Newport has just been completed.

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, Admiral Linda Fagan, the 1st U.S. Coast Guard District Commander; Coast Guard officials and representatives of Naval Station Newport joined a team of construction workers on Monday to mark the completion of the major overhaul at a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The upgrades dramatically improve the facilities used by the Coast Guard as well as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to maintain and deploy cutters and other vessels.

Reed, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, was instrumental on securing the $30 million for the Coast Guard and Navy to upgrade the waterfront area.

The project revamp covered both shore-side and waterfront improvements to the wharf, including construction of a new operations building, demolition of an old Navy building, a new parking area, storm water management system to treat runoff, shore tie utilities, cleats bollards and fenders.

Crews also dredged 5,000 cubic yards of material between the peers to ease maneuvering and berthing of vessels and extended a sheet pile wall to elongate the mooring face.

“This upgrade to the waterfront at Naval Station Newport is critical for the Coast Guard personnel working to defend our coastline, as well as the many other agencies that utilize the base,” Reed said in prepared remarks. “I was pleased to help direct federal funds home to Rhode Island to make these enhancements and build this new facility. While we count on the Coast Guard and other national security agencies to always be ready, we also need to maintain and improve our infrastructure to make sure that they have the facilities and equipment necessary to carry out their varied missions.”

Funding for the project started to come together in 2008.

The waterfront at Naval Station Newport is an integral part of operations for the Coast Guard and NOAA vessels. Currently, Newport is home to three Coast Guard buoy tenders: CGC Juniper, CGC Willow, and CGC Ida Lewis, as well as the Patrol Boat CGC Tiger Shark, and NOAA’s Fisheries Survey Vessel Henry B. Bigelow. It regularly hosts visiting vessels from these agencies, and supports the important work of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC).