Off The News: A major new drydock at Pearl Harbor

The sometimes love-hate relationship between Hawaii and the U.S. military just got some love, in the form of a $2.8 billion task order to build a new shipyard drydock.

The Navy’s contract to joint venture Dragados/Hawaiian Dredging/Orion JV will be for a new Dry Dock 5, a five-year project to replace Dry Dock 3 at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. It’s part of the U.S. $21 billion Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program, which aims to upgrade shipyards over 20 years, focused on infrastructure to support nuclear-powered subs and warships.

Pearl Harbor shipyard is a key logistics hub for the Navy in the Pacific, and Hawaii’s top industrial employer with 6,000-plus employees. This project will float many boats.