$5 million stimulus to fund Albany, N.Y., port project

Written by jrood

Local elected officials were at a bustling Port of Albany June 14 to announce that they had secured $5 million in federal stimulus funding to pay for the next phase of a wharf replacement project, the Albany Times Union reports.

Troy construction company
C.D. Perry & Sons is replacing 80-year-old wooden docks at the port with
steel and concrete. The first phase, made possible by $6.5 million in state
funding, consisted of replacing 500 feet of dock on the Hudson River.

The second phase includes
310 feet, while both projects also include the addition of new rail lines to
connect the port to the CSX Transportation and Canadian Pacific rail lines.

The new wharf, expected to
be completed in October 2011, will allow the port to better handle more
"heavy lift" cargo such as large wind turbines manufactured by
General Electric Co. The 800 feet of additional dock space will allow the port
to handle four heavy lift ships at one time while still being able to
accommodate smaller scrap metal and grain ships.

"This is an important
endeavor for us," said Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings, who recalled working
at the port as a longshoreman when he was a teenager. "The money is
well-spent. This is a very thriving area."

Port officials estimate the
port is responsible for supporting more than 4,500 jobs across the state, and
has an annual economic impact of $813 million. The wharf replacement project
alone created 60 construction jobs and is expected to create 50 new
longshoremen positions.

Assemblyman Jack McEneny, a
local historian whose brother also worked at the port, said the complex is
vital to the city. But he said the old wharf has outlived its usefulness in an
age when heavy cargo is key.

The rail extensions also
are key. Currently, rail cargo has to be put on trucks before it can be put
onto the port’s existing rail line.

"It’s a huge step
forward," said Albany County Executive Mike Breslin.

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