Cianbro awarded $7.7M contract for Navy station in Cutler

Cianbro Corp. of Pittsfield was awarded a $7.7 million contract to repair the north and south Helix House ice shields at the Naval Communications Station in Cutler. The work is expected to be completed by November 2018.

The project will replace six ice shields and will utilize steel components with a rust-resistant finish to help reduce corrosion. Key components to be repaired include: temporary support, scaffolding, roof protection, testing and inspections, cranes, ice shield plate and supports, structural frames and trusses, corrosion resistant coating systems, column connections, roof patching, platforms and access ladders.

The contract also contains two unexercised options, which if exercised would increase the contract value to slightly more than $14 million.

The Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station in Cutler provides very low frequency communications between the command onshore and U.S. ships, planes and submarines in the North Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The facility was commissioned on June 23, 1961.

“The Navy’s communications station in Cutler is an integral part of our national security, and one of only two facilities worldwide that provides vital submarine very low frequency (VLF) communications,” said U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, I-Maine, in a joint statement announcing the award. “This competitive contract awarded to Cianbro will support important infrastructure improvements that will ensure the facility can continue to carry out its critical mission.”