BEAUMONT, TX — On May 2, 2024, 150 guests joined Port of Beaumont officials to celebrate completion of the $85 million Main Street Terminal 1 dock reconstruction project. The new dock, which will increase cargo handling capacity by 15%, is a long-awaited addition to the Port that will help achieve two main objectives — create jobs and promote economic growth.
“As early as 2012, it was clear that the old infrastructure needed to be replaced, but an 85-million-dollar dock project is a heavy lift, and we needed community support.” said Port Director Chris Fisher “We received that support in the form of an $85 million bond referendum that passed 2:1 in 2017, which would go on to support several capital projects, including this one.”
Fisher noted that in addition to bond dollars, the Port applied for grants to fund the project and received a $5 million U.S. Economic Development Administration grant for Phase 1 in 2018,and an $18 million U.S. Department of Transportation BUILD Grant in 2019. Those grants, in conjunction with Port revenues, allowed the Port to move forward with construction.
The new terminal, built by McCarthy Building Companies, took two years to construct and included demolition of components that were nearly 100 years old. The previous infrastructure,at 160 feet wide and 1,200 feet long, with a deck rating of 500 PSF, could hold the equivalent of 640,000 people. The new, modern dock structure, at 1,250 feet long and 130 feet wide with a deck rating of 1,200 PSF and roll-on / roll-off capabilities, can hold the equivalent of 1,300,000 people. The increased capacity will allow the Port to welcome new customers and better serve existing customers, while also being able to accommodate modern vessels and cargo types.
“The added capacity comes at a critical time,” said Commissioner Bill Darling. “We saw a 41% increase in cargo volume last year and anticipate another record year in 2024.”
With an opportunity for a complete redesign of the terminal, sustainability and resiliency were top of mind for the Port of Beaumont. Key building elements included concrete piles that provide a corrosion-resistant foundation for extended resiliency, and a final concrete topping slab constructed using synthetic concrete reinforcing fibers, as opposed to traditional welded steel wire mesh. This reinforcing material provided a corrosion resistant surface which will slow deterioration. The new fender system includes an energy-absorbing component to reduce loads on the dock, which will extend the useful life of the new terminal. McCarthy expertly brought this vision, engineered by Lanier & Associates Engineering, to life.
“The demolition and removal of the old dock was unique due to the complexity of collapsed structure and the number of unknowns. The demolition process had risks and posed challenges with divers working in zero visibility water,” said Robert Wood, project director for McCarthy. “We had to strategically break the structure down and ensure all debris was removed from the footprint of the new dock so we would not hinder installation of new piles. It was through trustand a strong partnership with Port of Beaumont and Lanier that we were able to tackle these problems together. It was a proactive, collaborative, and adaptive team approach with all stakeholders moving the project forward together.”
The new terminal will be capable of handling a variety of cargos and will serve as a significant asset to the U.S. military and project cargo partners, including refineries, clean energy companiesand other industrial facilities along the Gulf Coast.
About the Port of Beaumont
The Port of Beaumont is a deep-water port located in Beaumont, Texas, that specializes in dry bulk, liquid bulk, breakbulk, project, heavy-lift and roll-on roll-off cargoes. The Port of Beaumont Channel generates more than 66,000 direct, induced, indirect and related-user jobs and is responsible for more than $25.2 billion in economic activity annually. The Port of Beaumont is the largest strategic military outload port in the nation and consistently ranks as a “Top 10” port nationally, in terms of tonnage. Additional information can be found online at pobtx.com or by following the Port on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is the oldest privately held national construction company in the country – with 160 years spent collaborating with partners to solve complex building challenges on behalf of its clients. With an unrelenting focus on safety and a comprehensive quality program that span all phases of every project, McCarthy utilizes industry-leading design phase and construction techniques combined with value-add technology to maximize outcomes. Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work and Healthiest Employer, McCarthy is ranked the 19th largest domestic builder (Engineering News-Record, 2023). With approximately 5,000 salaried employees and craft professionals, the firm has offices in St. Louis, Atlanta; Collinsville, Ill.; Kansas City, Kan.; Omaha, Neb.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Denver; Dallas, Houston; and San Diego, Newport Beach, San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento, Calif. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com or by following the company on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.
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