Construction on the new mega berth in Portland’s harbor is on schedule in its sixth week, says Jack Parker, president and CEO of the construction company in charge of the project, Reed & Reed of Woolwich. Two of the 21 pilings that will support the disembarking platform and pedestrian walkway have been driven down through the water and into the seabed. Over the next three months, the rest of the 220-foot metal pilings will be bored into the sea floor, a process that takes the good part of a day at least, according to Jack Turner, project superintendent. The $4.9 million berth is set to be complete July 31.
In the past few years, Portland has been attracting an increasing number of cruise ships and expects the trend to continue, especially with the construction of a pier that can handle 1,200-foot-long cruise ships capable of carrying 3,000 or more passengers.