The Port Authority of Guam is offering up the first views of what the port may look like after a more than $200 million modernization plan that the island and United States military label as essential to handle an impending transfer of U.S military from Okinawa, Japan to Guam.
The PAG design and engineering consultant for the modernization plan, Parsons Brinckerhoff, has released a preliminary draft of the what port upgrades will be performed under the plan.
Once Parsons and the PAG have finalized the first phase of upgrades, the design plan will be handed over to Maryland-based contractor EA Engineering, Science and Technology, who last week was awarded the build contract for the modernization program by the U.S. federal government.
In presenting the preliminary draft to the PAG on Tuesday, Jeff Schechtman, director of Parsons Brinckerhoff's Ports and Marine Division said that the modernization will "include a phase expansion of the terminal, terminal yard, implementation of modern systems, new facilities, more streamlined operations at the Port, and also allow for enhanced storage capacity for the port to move more cargo through the Port as the population of the island grows over the next five to 10 years."
Parsons has been working on the design plan since late last year.
The PAG plans to release the finalized Phase 1-A portion of the modernization plan in July, with construction expected to begin in summer of fall of next year.
Parsons, back in 2007, was the original consultant that identified the more than $200 million in upgrades needed at the port to handle the U.S. military's transfer of 8,000 Marines and 9,000 dependents from Okinawa to Guam, The move was originally slated to start later this year and run through 2014.
