U.S. Senator Jack Reed was joined yesterday by Admiral Linda Fagan, the 1st U.S. Coast Guard District Commander, representatives from the USCG and Naval Station Newport, and Rhode Island construction workers for a ribbon cutting ceremony marking the completion of the new Coast Guard wharf project at Naval Station Newport.
The project consisted of both shore-side and waterfront improvements to the wharf.
The project’s waterfront improvements included installing shore tie utilities, cleats, bollards, and fenders for three Coast Guard Cutters (CGCs); paving along the waterfront; dredging of 5,000 cubic yards of material between the piers to deepen water for the maneuvering and berthing of vessels; and extending the sheet pile wall to provide a longer mooring face.
According to Senator Reed, this upgrade to the waterfront at Naval Station Newport is critical for the Coast Guard personnel working to defend the country’s coastline.
“ 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, ” said Senator Reed, the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The waterfront at Naval Station Newport is an integral part of operations for the Coast Guard and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (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.
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