Skanska wins $271M contract to rebuild Newport's Coast Guard pier

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

The U.S. Coast Guard is replacing a condemned 1950s-era pier at Naval Station Newport with a modern facility for four new offshore patrol cutters. Skanska won the $271.2 million contract, and construction is already underway.

The project is part of a broader federal push to make Newport a hub for maritime agencies. A $147 million NOAA marine operations center is being built next door, and the new pier must be ready by March 2030 to homeport the cutters.

Why it matters

Four next-generation Coast Guard cutters will homeport in Newport by 2030, cementing Rhode Island's role as a federal maritime hub.

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Key Indicators

$271.2M

Contract value

Firm-fixed-price contract awarded by NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic to Skanska USA Civil Northeast.

Cutters to be berthed

Offshore patrol cutters that will make Newport their homeport once the pier opens.

1,000 ft

New pier length

The new 80-by-1,000-foot pier replaces the condemned 100-by-1,580-foot structure.

March 2030

Target completion

Construction began October 2026 and is scheduled to finish by March 2030.

Voices

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People Involved

Jack Reed

U.S. Senator from Rhode Island

Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee

Organizations Involved

Skanska USA Civil Northeast Inc.

Construction Contractor

Awarded $271.2M contract to build the new homeport pier

The U.S. subsidiary of Swedish construction giant Skanska, based in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Mid-Atlantic

Federal Agency

Contracting activity for the pier project

The Navy command that manages construction and facilities engineering for the Mid-Atlantic region, including Naval Station Newport.

United States Coast Guard

Federal Agency

Beneficiary of the new pier; will homeport four offshore patrol cutters there

The U.S. maritime military service that will station four new offshore patrol cutters at Naval Station Newport.

Timeline

1955 March 2030

6 events Latest: 2 days ago

Tap a bar to jump to that date

March 2030
Target completion
Upcoming Milestone

The new pier is scheduled to be complete and ready to berth four offshore patrol cutters.
March 2030
October 2026
World Construction Network reports on the contract
Latest Report

WCN reported Skanska's $271M contract to build the new homeport pier for four Coast Guard cutters.
2 days ago
Skanska announces contract signing
Announcement

Skanska confirmed the $271M contract, about SEK 2.5 billion, booked in Q3 2026 U.S. orders.
5 days ago
Construction begins
Construction

Work started on the new pier, including demolition of the old structure and site preparation.
October 2026
September 2026
NAVFAC awards $271.2M pier contract to Skanska
Contract Award

Sen. Jack Reed announced the contract for phase 2 construction of Pier 1 at Naval Station Newport.
September 22nd, 2026
1955
Original Pier 1 constructed
Construction

The 1,585-foot concrete pier was built in the mid-1950s in Coddington Cove.
1955

Scenarios

Newport pier completed on schedule by March 2030

Likely Resolves by Q1 2030

Discussed by: NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic, Skanska, Sen. Jack Reed's office

Construction proceeds on schedule, the pier is operational by March 2030, and four offshore patrol cutters begin homeporting in Newport. The $51.1 million in expiring FY2022 funding creates early pressure to mobilize quickly, which could help keep the project on track.

Construction delays push completion past 2030

Possible Resolves by Q1 2030

Discussed by: Construction Dive, govconfeed

Weather, supply chain issues, or coordination with the adjacent NOAA project cause delays. The two federal projects share a construction zone in Coddington Cove, which means coordinated site logistics and utility tie-ins that could slow both schedules.

Contract modifications increase project cost

Possible Resolves by End of 2028

Discussed by: govconfeed

The $51.1 million in expiring FY2022 funding creates pressure for early mobilization and procurement. If site conditions or scope changes emerge, the firm-fixed-price contract could be modified, increasing the total value beyond $271.2 million.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2019-2026

NOAA Marine Operations Center-Atlantic relocation (2019-2026)

Sen. Jack Reed led a successful effort to move NOAA's Marine Operations Center-Atlantic from Norfolk, Virginia, to Naval Station Newport. The $147 million facility, built by Skanska, includes a modern pier for four NOAA research vessels, a floating dock, offices, and maintenance facilities.

Then

NOAA's Atlantic research fleet now operates from Newport, bringing hundreds of federal employees and support staff to the area.

Now

Newport became a hub for federal maritime agencies, with the Coast Guard pier project building on the same pattern of consolidation.

Why this matters now

The NOAA facility sits on a 5-acre site along Coddington Cove, directly adjacent to the new Coast Guard pier. Both projects are being built by Skanska, and the two construction zones will share logistics and utility infrastructure.

1955-2026

Original Pier 1 construction and condemnation (1955-2026)

Pier 1 was built in the mid-1950s as a 1,585-foot concrete structure in Coddington Cove. Over seven decades, storms, waves, and ongoing degradation rendered the pier condemned. It was demolished as part of phase 1 of the replacement project.

Then

The condemned pier was removed, clearing the way for the new 1,000-foot structure with a higher deck elevation to resist wave damage and sea-level rise.

Now

The replacement extends the pier's useful life by decades, with a design built to modern resilience standards.

Why this matters now

The new pier is a direct response to the failure of the 1950s-era structure, showing how military infrastructure ages and gets replaced when it can no longer support modern vessels.