The Pease Development Authority - Division of Ports and Harbors (PDA-DPH) expects to soon release the bid proposal for its Market Street Marine Terminal functional replacement. The project will expand the present 582’ main pier face to 784’ in length, add full-face fendering to the main pier, and increase the usable area on the terminal property located in Portsmouth, N.H.
The pier extension, or ‘functional replacement,’ is a substitute for lost pier space on the north end of the terminal property. Reduced from nearly 300’ down to 120,’ this secondary pier was used for barges and a small container ship which provided weekly liner service from Portsmouth, N.H., to Boston, Mass., Portland, Maine, and Halifax, N.S. The PDA-DPH still hosts purse seining vessels, local tugs, and other smaller craft in this space regularly. Interest has also been recently expressed in using it for long-term berthing by a local aquaculture startup. The reduction in size occurred due to the replacement of the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, completed in 2018. The new bridge now passes over much of the old barge pier location.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) agreed to compensate the PDA-DPH for this loss of usable space by funding an equivalent extension to the terminal's main pier. The added pier length will allow the facility to safely receive the largest Handymax bulkers which call on Portsmouth; as well as fit multiple workboats or coastal cruise ships, due to its proximity to downtown. The full-face fendering, which will be installed along the entire main pier’s length, will allow smaller barges and the occasional tall ship to securely moor at the terminal. Currently, the Piscataqua River’s tidal range of 7-8’ is cause for concern for vessels with a lower freeboard, as they can easily become caught under the present pier face during rising tides.
The project will also increase usable terminal space. A major regrading of one corner of the facility during this project, will allow the PDA-DPH to add another onsite tenant. Though the project is expected to take up to three years to complete, staff are already searching for potential users. A bulk cargo, breakbulk cargo, or offshore service support tenant would be an ideal fit at the facility. Presently the facility mainly supports the import of bulk road salt, small passenger cruises, and project cargo. In fiscal year 24/25, over 521,000 tons of road salt was imported. Frequently the terminal acts as a staging area for river dredging operations, heavy marine construction projects, or in support of the downriver Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
Market Street Terminal is an essential component to the New Hampshire maritime economy; the region has only six active commercial marine terminals. The PDA-DPH facility is the only general, heavy lift, and breakbulk cargo-capable terminal in New Hampshire, so its expansion is key to area growth and job creation. The PDA-DPH has offered this project for bid twice since 2018, unsuccessfully. This round is expected to see better results, as FHWA and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) have yielded a few changes to the bid package, including an increased bid window of 8 weeks. When first offered in 2018, the NHDOT set a price limit of $26.1 million, this has ballooned to a price limit of $44.7 million due to rising construction costs and inflation.
In addition to the extension of the main pier, a concurrent dredging project is expected to be conducted. Shoaling has occurred at the northern end of the present main pier due to the location of the footing of the old Sarah Mildred Long Bridge. While most of the pierside is dredged to 35’ at mean low water, the northern edge rises to a depth of just 22’ at mean low water. This restricts the positioning of the largest bulk ships that call on the terminal. The State of New Hampshire allocated over $1.4 million to fix this issue earlier this year in House Bill 25-A. The PDA-DPH aims to ‘kill two birds with one stone’ during the pier extension project and remedy this subpar condition alongside the pier.
Ultimately, completion of this project will allow New Hampshire’s small but versatile public port to reach full capacity and serve the state better. The terminal presently directly supports 12 full-time positions and 3 private companies. A 2012 study found that the Ports of Newington and Portsmouth together supported 987 jobs and had a total economic impact of over $274.5 milliion. An extension of the pier at Market Street Terminal will only serve to build upon these figures and grow New Hampshire’s maritime commerce.
