Quonset Development Corporation (QDC) has officially opened the modernised Pier 2 at the Port of Davisville in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island Governor Dan Mckee joined the QDC, as well as other state and local officials, to cut the ribbon on Tuesday on the finished project, which expanded the pier by 232 feet and created a third berthing space. The port was also dredged to accommodate larger ships.
The project cost a total of USD 83.1 million, which is USD 7 million under budget, according to a press release from the Governor’s office. The overhaul began in 2017 and is expected to extend the life of the Pier by 50 years.
The project was funded by a bond approved by Rhode Island voters in 2016, Quonset port users, and the QDC itself.
“The Pier 2 upgrades position Quonset to become a hub for the offshore wind industry, and the new berth creates an opportunity for more ships, jobs and revenue”, said Steven J. King , Managing Director of the Quonset Development Corporation.
The expansion will allow Davisville to prepare for future offshore wind projects while continuing its auto import success, QDC said.
According to QDC, which operates the Port of Davisville, the port hosts one of the Top 10 automobile importers in North America and supports nearly 1,700 direct jobs.
“The Port of Davisville is a global gateway to New England and an irreplaceable resource for Rhode Island. The expanded and modernized Pier 2 will position the Port as an even greater catalyst for economic growth in the decades to come, creating jobs and boosting a number of critical industries”, said House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi .
The Port of Davisville will also receive USD 60 million through the FY2023 budget that State Governor Dan McKee announced at the beginning of this year.
The USD 60 million investment to improve infrastructure at the Port of Davisville will power construction of the port’s Terminal 5 Pier and completion of required dredging, preparation of about 34 acres to accommodate additional cargo laydown, and reconstruction and hardening of the existing surface of Pier 1.