The United States Navy is moving towards selecting a contractor for the massive Bremerton Naval Base upgrade project. This project, with a budget of $15 billion, includes the construction of a new drydock for aircraft carriers at the Kitsap Naval Base and related improvements to the adjacent shoreline.
Background and Need for Upgrade
Most of the existing facilities at the Bremerton base date back to the early 20th century and are now over 100 years old. The newest drydock was built during the Cold War. These facilities were designed for a previous era of shipbuilding and fleet weight, while modern supercarriers are significantly larger than the ships of the 1890s.
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Contract Details and Implementation Phases
The multiple-award contract gives five main contractors the opportunity to divide the project into various sections, each worth at least $1 billion. Different design and construction phases will be awarded to selected contractors and are typically allocated in multi-billion dollar batches throughout the project's progress.
The goal of this upgrade is to increase the capacity of the Bremerton base - which is the heart of the local economy - to continue updating the nuclear fleet of ships and submarines. This base is the only one on the West Coast approved for refueling nuclear vessels, and this process requires extensive and multi-year repairs.
Forecasting and Planning
The volume of work required to install a new drydock large enough for an aircraft carrier at an existing base is substantial. The site requires the demolition of existing facilities, installation of new tunnels, sub-stations, rail systems, crane paths, dewatering and drainage systems, and new facilities off-site to relocate some existing functions.
The deadline for submitting proposals is set for December 1, and contractor selection is expected to occur in 2027. Physical work on-site could begin as early as 2030, based on estimates from the independent auditing agency. This agency believes that the Navy's overall public upgrade program will cost approximately $200 billion and will take nearly 50 years to complete.
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