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Crowley breaks ground on pier in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Crowley Puerto Rico Services has broken ground on a $48.5m construction project for a new pier at its Isla Grande Terminal in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Michele Labrut, Americas Correspondent

November 19, 2015

2 Min Read
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Construction is expected to conclude mid-2017 and the project includes the development of a new 900-foot-long, 114-foot-wide concrete pier and all associated dredging needed to accommodate Crowley’s two new LNG powered, Commitment Class ships, which are scheduled for delivery in 2017, the company.

Crowley’s terminal expansion also includes the installation of three new ship-to-shore container gantry cranes, which will be supplied under a separate contract.

“This important project represents close collaboration between private business and the Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA) to make a major investment in the infrastructure of Puerto Rico,” Crowley vice president, Puerto Rico, Jose Ayala explained.

The construction contract is being executed by LPC & D Inc., of Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, which began driving the first piles for the pier last week.

“With the first pile driven, we look forward to watching the coming transformation of our terminal into the most modern and efficient port facility on the island,” said Tom Crowley, company chairman and ceo. “Our new terminal infrastructure will help us reposition Puerto Rico as a shipping and logistics hub for the Caribbean basin and beyond, and open up many new opportunities for our customers.”

In all, Crowley is investing about $500m in its Puerto Rico service with the construction of two new state-of-the-art ships, the new pier, three new container cranes, new truck access gates, reefer plugs, new containers and container handling equipment, and more.

“This investment, which is resulting in jobs, economic impact, a cleaner environment and significant service enhancements for Puerto Rico shippers, would not be possible without the Jones Act,” said Crowley.

The pier design, using the latest displacement-based performance criteria, has been carefully developed over the past year with the PRPA and Harbor Consulting Engineers, Inc., of Seattle, Washington As the lead design firm for the project, Harbor is the engineer of record for the project and the duration of the construction. Crowley and Harbor have worked together on infrastructure projects for nearly 40 years.

Crowley recently completed the acquisition of the necessary permits, including those from the US Army Corps of Engineers and other local agencies.

About the Author

Michele Labrut

Americas Correspondent

Michèle Labrut is a long-time Panama resident, a journalist and correspondent, and has continuously covered the maritime sector of Central & Latin America.

Michèle first came to Panama as a press attaché to the French Embassy and then returned to the isthmus as a foreign correspondent in the 1980s.

Author of Seatrade Maritime's annual Panama Maritime Review magazine and of several books, Michèle also wrote for Time magazine, The Miami Herald, NBC News and the Economist Intelligence Unit. She has also collaborated in making several documentaries for the BBC and European and U.S. television networks.

Michèle's profession necessitates a profound knowledge of the country, but her acumen is not from necessity alone, but a genuine passion for Panama.

In 2012 she was awarded the Order of Merit (Knight grade) by the French Government for her services to international journalism and in 2021 the upgrade to Chevalier grade.

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