Dallas-based McCarthy Construction Co. has been awarded the contract, which entails demolishing the existing asphalt pavement, structures and utilities on the site; subsoil preparation; and concrete paving 30 acres dedicated for cargo storage and handling. The project also includes installing new high-mast lighting, underground sanitary and storm sewers, a lift station and new communications conduit.
With this project, McCarthy will have performed $22.9 million in work for the Port of Houston Authority. Jerry Mayer, project director for McCarthy tells GlobeSt.com the relationship between the two began in 1992 when McCarthy successfully bid on a $5.5-million wharf extension and backup-area paving at Jacintoport. Next came a $7.8-million wharf project at Care Terminal.
Mayer says the open-bid projects available through the Texas Highway Department and the various ports in Texas make up a substantial market for the office. McCarthy also has just completed a $28-million wharf expansion for the Port Arthur Navigation District of Jefferson County.
The newest contract is to be completed in 13 months. Port of Houston Authority chief engineer, Steven DeWolf is confident in McCarthy's ability to meet "this project's aggressive plan."
The Port's goal is to become the predominant player in the Gulf. Authority chairman, Jim Edmonds had outlined the long-term strategy at a recent economic outlook meeting in the Woodlands. Other plans include massive expansions, a merger with the Port of Galveston and a reinstatement of cruise ships at the port, says Edmonds. The Port currently pumps $7.7 billion in business revenues into the regional economy and generates 204,520 direct and related jobs in Texas.
The port's primary competitor is the Port of New Orleans. Edmonds says the Port is banking on ship container transportation becoming the favored shipment mode for the future due to high efficiency and low cost. He predicts seaports will be akin to airports in the coming 10 to 15 years, acting as hubs for massive distribution, and it's the Port's plan to at the forefront of the trend.
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