Maine Port Authority News

Maine Selects Sears Island as Preferred Site for Floating Wind Port Facility

The government of Maine has selected a section of state-owned area on Sears Island as its preferred site for a port facility development that will support the floating offshore wind industry.The selection of the site, announced by the Governor of Maine Janet Mills, follows an extensive public stakeholder process led by the Maine Department of Transportation and Maine Port Authority to consider the state’s primary port development options, including multiple potential sites in the Port of Searsport…

Port of Gulfport Names Nass CEO

The Mississippi State Port Authority (MSPA) Board of Commissioners has named Jon Nass the new CEO and executive director of the Port of Gulfport, following a national search led by Tim McNamara, head of Odgers Berndtson’s Transportation and Infrastructure Practice in Washington, D.C. His tentative start date is June 1.“After nearly an eight-month process, the MSPA Commission is very pleased to announce we have selected a new executive director to lead the Port of Gulfport team,” said MSPA President E.J. Roberts.

Henshaw Named Connecticut Port Authority Executive Director

The Connecticut Port Authority (CPA) approved the appointment of John Henshaw as its new executive director, effective September 8, 2020.Henshaw comes to the CPA after serving as the executive director of the Maine Port Authority for over 10 years and after serving as commissioner for the Board of Harbor Commissioners for the Port of Portland.He was selected for the position following an extensive search by the CPA board for a candidate with a specific set of skills and experience.

Riverboat Touring: Status Quo or Ready to Grow?

If you want to book a plush river cruise vacation in America’s heartland – say on the Mississippi or Ohio Rivers – you can do it. The American Queen Steamboat Company’s website offers as many as 13 river cruises in 2018. Certainly, the ‘bourbon cruise,’ aboard the lavish American Duchess sounds like fun. Or, maybe next year you can sign up for the nine-day ‘Derby Cruise.’ And, next year means 2019 because the 2018 cruise is sold out. Maybe the most fun is that passengers themselves…

FAST Act Grant Awards Announced

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced 18 proposed grant awards for projects under the Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects Program. The program, also known as the Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-term Achievement of National Efficiencies (FASTLANE) grants, is a new competitive grant program established under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act to provide funding for nationally significant highway, bridge, and freight projects. The FASTLANE program requires DOT to notify the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee at least 60 days before a grant is awarded for a project.

Penobscot Bay Dredging Called Off, for Now

The Army Corps of Engineers withdrew on Tuesday its state permitting application for a Penobscot Bay dredging project opposed by lobstermen, tourism business owners and environmentalists. The Portland Press Herald reports Corps project manager Barbara Blumeris sent a letter to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection on Tuesday saying that the federal agency was withdrawing its application for requisite state permits. Opponents of the controversial $12 million dredging project for the local harbor hailed news Wednesday that state and federal officials had withdrawn their permit application from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

The McAllister Towing Legacy

In 1864 Abraham Lincoln was president, and the U.S. was embroiled in the midst of civil war. In 1864, McAllister Towing was established (originally as the Greenpoint Lighterage Co.) in New York City. McAllister Towing has persevered, and at times, served, through nine wars, 28 presidents, at least three catastrophic stock market crashes; collapsing oil prices, generations of advances in ship technology and vessel construction and design; and an explosion in maritime regulation.

Marine Highway Momentum from Maine Port Authority

The more than 25,000 miles of navigable Great Lakes, rivers, and waterways that make up America’s Marine Highway System are – and will remain – a key economic asset. Our nation’s marine highway routes and the tugs and barges that ply those marine highways help alleviate land-side congestion; accommodate future freight growth; and provide reliable, competitive alternatives for freight shippers. However, smooth sailing is not always guaranteed. For example, winter weather can cause the waters off the coasts of New England states – part of M-95…

Shortsea Shipping: Poised for a Comeback

The idea that cargo, moved from deep draft ports to smaller, niche destinations, can be accomplished without trucks is something that has taken a backseat over the past five years. That’s because, absent the leadership necessary in Washington to move the viable concept forward, it has fallen off the intermodal Radar, replaced with flashy ideas for high speed commuter trains and further obscured by the pouring of billions of dollars of asphalt onto the nation’s highways. Shortsea shipping, however, is alive and well. In the Commonwealth of Virginia – and elsewhere – it is getting a jumpstart that is already yielding dividends. Sean T. Connaughton, Secretary of Transportation for the Commonwealth of Virginia and the former U.S.

Maine Port Authority Selects McAllister for ATB

Buckley McAllister, President of McAllister Towing & Transportation, announced the Maine Port Authority has selected McAllister as its partner for the design of a containerized articulated tug barge (ATB) for the New England Marine Highway Project. Prior to the award, McAllister participated in a competitive RFQ and RFP process which began on December 4, 2012. This competition followed the award of $150,000 in design funding to the Maine Port Authority on September 25, 2012 as…

Maine Port Authority, McAllister Colloborate on "Containerized" ATB

Maine Port Authority selected McAllister as its partner for the design of a containerized articulated tug barge (ATB) for the New England Marine Highway Project, according to Buckley McAllister, President of McAllister Towing & Transportation. Prior to the award, McAllister participated in a competitive RFQ and RFP process which began on December 4, 2012. This competition followed the award of $150,000 in design funding to the Maine Port Authority on September 25, 2012 as part of a cooperative agreement with between the Maine Port Authority and the Maritime Administration under the auspices of the Marine Highway Program. The Maine Port…

Liebherr Tops 40 Deliveries in North America

In early 2012, a state-of-the-art Liebherr Mobile Harbour Crane, type LHM 550, marked the 40th delivery to the North American market. Of these machines 32 were delivered to the United States and 8 to Canada. Since 2006 a stable upward trend has been evident, especially in the United States. Since 2006 more than 20 Liebherr Mobile Harbour Cranes are guarantying highly efficient cargo handling throughout North America. The 40th crane delivered was purchased by the Maine Port Authority for their port in Searsport, ME USA.