The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded Whiting-Turner a major modernization contract for Base Seattle, a facility critical to U.S. polar operations. The contract, valued at up to $137 million, represents the first phase in a broader effort to upgrade the base so it can support the next generation of polar security cutters (PSCs).
According to a Sept. 2 news release, Baltimore-based Whiting-Turner will take on an extensive scope of work in Phase 1A of the project. The plan includes widening the slip between berths 36B and 37B, modernizing berths 37A and 37B with upgraded utilities to support two new PSCs, demolishing an existing building, and stabilizing the waterfront at berth 36B. Additionally, the company will recapitalize Station Seattle’s small boat docks and boathouse.
The Coast Guard emphasized that the project is designed to prepare Base Seattle for its evolving mission:
The goal of the work, according to the Coast Guard, is to homeport future polar security cutters at the base.
Located on the Elliott Bay waterfront, Base Seattle serves as a vital hub for Coast Guard operations in the Arctic and Antarctic, regions of growing strategic importance for national security, shipping, and scientific research.
A significant portion of the project involves dredging the waterfront area to remove contaminated sediment, a task being carried out under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and in coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Coast Guard described the cleanup as unprecedented:
This job is the largest CERCLA action and removal of hazardous substances in the Coast Guard’s history, according to the release.
The dredging effort underscores the dual focus of the modernization project—expanding infrastructure for future missions while addressing long-standing environmental concerns.
While Whiting-Turner’s award covers Phase 1A, additional work is on the horizon. The Coast Guard said it intends to award Phase 1B and 1C contracts in the future, which will modernize more facilities and deliver four major cutter berths. These projects will continue to expand the base’s capacity to accommodate the Coast Guard’s growing polar fleet.
The funding comes in part from the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which includes $4.3 billion to continue building out the PSC fleet. These ice-capable cutters are seen as vital for asserting U.S. presence in high-latitude regions where climate change and geopolitics are reshaping global priorities.
The Coast Guard’s Seattle project is part of a broader wave of federal military construction. In August, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Alaska District awarded the first phase of the Port of Nome modification project to Kiewit, aimed at improving Arctic port facilities. Similarly, the Hawaii District awarded AECOM a package of indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) architect-engineer contracts worth more than $400 million.
This $137 million project positions Whiting-Turner at the center of one of the most significant Coast Guard infrastructure upgrades in recent history, laying the groundwork for future polar operations while tackling the agency’s largest-ever environmental remediation effort.
Originally reported by Matthew Thibault in Construction Dive.
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