The much-discussed improvements at the Seal Beach Navy Weapons Station took another step on the journey to reality when a contractor was $117.9 million to begin the project’s first phase, the dredging and pier reconfiguration of the Anaheim Bay facility.
Dredging could start as early as the end of ths year, but also in early 2020. When the $154 million project is complete, the new Navy facility would allow larger ships to dock at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, as well as servicing two ships at a time instead of the present one.
The initial contract was awarded on July 15 to Manson/Connolly Seal Beach JV — a joint venture between marine construction firms Manson Construction of Seattle and Connolly-Pacific Co. of Long Beach.
The multi-stage modernization project that will replace the World War II-era ammunition pier with one that meets the growing Pacific Fleet’s needs. To partly counterbalance China’s growing military presence, about 60% of U.S. naval forces are now based in the Pacific, up from 40% a decade ago. Seal Beach station (and its satellite facilities) store ordnance for the Navy and Marine Corps, load and unload ammunition and maintain weapons on warships departing San Diego.
The new construction will create a new public navigation channel for Huntington Harbour. This will allow the construction of a jetty/causeway that will allow Navy vehicles to access the new wharf to be built on the eastern portion of the Navy’s side of the bay.
The LA Times/Daily Pilot has a more detailed story.
