Port Dock 5 Pier Access

Port Commission President cuts the ribbon to officially open the pier. — Port Commission President Jim Burke cut the ribbon.

On Thursday, July 1, 2021, the Port of Newport celebrated the official opening of the Port Dock 5 access pier. The event was celebrated with a Noon ribbon cutting at the pier.

The new pier is 168 feet long, with the gangway adding an additional 85 feet. It features 18 steel pilings, greatly reducing the number of pilings as compared to the old pier. It’s also tied into the city storm sewer and any run-off is filtered for debris and contaminants prior to entering the sewer system.

While the pier is open for use, the final items for completion will occur in August, when back-ordered electrical panels will be installed.

The total project came in under budget at around $2.2 million.

A Look Back: Read about the history of this project

In January of 2021, the Port of Newport launched the construction phase of the Port Dock 5 pier replacement project. This effort is the culmination of several years of planning and design to replace the 60-year-old structure that is integral to the commercial fishing industry and the vessels that call Newport home.

The $2.4 million project replaces the pier that connects to Port Dock 5 - home to 80 vessels that haul in Dungeness Crab, pink shrimp, black cod, halibut, tuna, and more. The dilapidated pier, a wooden structure comprised of 50 wood piles and 11 mostly-wooden bents, was the conduit for potable water, fuel lines, power, and more to the boats, as well as a floating fuel facility.

The new pier replaces creosote treated timber pilings and planks with more environmentally friendly pilings of steel. The new design requires fewer pilings and they will be topped with pre-form concrete slabs, complete with a stormwater collection system.

In February 2020, the Port received a $1.2 million grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce to replace the fixed dock, gangway, and gangway float. The end result will be a new access pier that is capable of handling vehicular traffic, as well as beefed up electrical lines with a larger amperage for vessels that desire it. The grant was instrumental in the Port’s ability to update this much needed infrastructure.