KEY TAKEAWAYS: Port NOLA approved up to $8.27 million in new contract authority for work on the Louisiana International Terminal. Cycle Construction received a $2.25 million contract for preliminary demolition at the future terminal site in Violet. AECOM’s engineering contract increased by $ 4.02 million to $15.6 million to support final wharf and ramp design. Evans-Graves Engineers received an 18-month contract worth up to $2 million for project management and design support.   The Port of New Orleans board approved more than $8.2 million in new contract authority Thursday for preliminary site demolition, continued project management, and engineering work tied to the Louisiana International Terminal, as the greenfield container terminal moves into its next phase following federal permitting approval. The three resolutions authorize a $2.25 million preliminary demolition contract of existing structures with Cycle Construction Company LLC, an 18-month project management and design support contract worth up to $2 million with Evans-Graves Engineers Inc., and a $4.02 million increase to an existing engineering contract with AECOM Technical Services Inc. Together, the actions represent up to $8.27 million in additional spending authority for the terminal project. The approvals come just over a month after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers granted the federal permit authorizing the Port NOLA’s construction of the Louisiana International Terminal in Violet, clearing one of the project’s largest regulatory hurdles after years of engineering and environmental review. Port NOLA is developing the approximately $2.6 billion Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) through a public-private partnership with Ports America and Terminal Investment Limited, the terminal investment and operating arm of MSC Group. Earlier this year, the private partners formally established Louisiana International Terminal Holdings LLC, which is expected to operate the terminal, while Port NOLA remains responsible for designing and constructing the facility. The terminal is planned on the Lower Mississippi River in St. Bernard Parish, downriver from the Crescent City Connection. That location is a key component of the project: large container ships increasingly exceed the bridge clearance that vessels must pass beneath to reach Port NOLA’s existing container facilities farther upriver. The new terminal is being designed to accommodate those larger ships. At full buildout, Port NOLA expects the facility to have capacity for about 2 million twenty-foot-equivalent units, or TEUs, annually. The port estimates the terminal would initially handle between 180,000 and 280,000 physical containers during its first year of operations, with volume increasing as the facility is built out over time. AECOM contract grows to $15.6 million The board’s resolution approval on Thursday adds $4,021,783 to Port NOLA’s existing contract with AECOM Technical Services for preliminary design and permit support. AECOM initially received a $2 million contract in July 2021 to provide preliminary design and permitting services for the full terminal development. The agreement has since been amended repeatedly as the project’s design has evolved. Thursday’s sixth amendment brings the total value of the AECOM contract to $15,557,161. The new funding will support final design work for the terminal’s wharf and ramps. According to board documents, those designs will incorporate value-engineering changes developed through the pre-construction process, as well as modifications requested by the terminal’s development partners. Demolition work moves forward Cycle Construction received a $2,245,056.42 contract to perform preliminary demolition at the future terminal site at 6201 East St. Bernard Highway in Violet. The work calls for removing existing buildings, foundations, concrete slabs, roads, fencing, towers, poles, surface utility infrastructure, electrical equipment, and other obstructions across the property. The contract also includes hazardous material work, including asbestos abatement in three buildings, handling lead-based paint on exterior surfaces, and disposing or recycling other regulated materials. The demolition work is expected to take 130 consecutive calendar days after a notice to proceed. Project management contract awarded The board also authorized Port NOLA President and CEO Beth Branch to enter into an 18-month contract with Evans-Graves Engineers worth up to $2 million. Evans-Graves will provide project management and ongoing design support for the terminal, coordinating among Port NOLA, design consultants, contractors, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders. Its work could include schedule and budget management, risk and permitting coordination, technical and constructability reviews, value engineering, procurement support, and quality assurance. During construction, the firm will also help coordinate engineering work with the owner’s representative and construction manager, review submittals, respond to technical questions, and monitor compliance with the terminal’s design. Funding for the contract will come through the port’s Capital Investment Plan. ...read more read less