North Carolina Construction News staff writer
The U.S. Coast Guard has completed a $132.5-million reconstruction of Pier November at Base Charleston in North Charleston, South Carolina, finishing the project 60 days ahead of schedule.
The 1,190-foot-long, 80-foot-wide pier returned to operational use on Sept. 21, 2026. It can accommodate up to five major cutters, including national security cutters, and is designed to provide modern waterfront infrastructure for the Coast Guard’s fleet.
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company completed the project under a contract awarded in July 2022. The work included demolishing and replacing the existing pier, repairing collapsed seawall bulkheads, dredging the channel and upgrading shore-side utilities.
Crews also encountered previously unidentified buried concrete pilings during construction. In August 2025, the Coast Guard authorized a contract modification valued at up to $14.8 million to remove as many as 100 submerged piles to clear the way for the new infrastructure.
The project is part of a broader expansion of Base Charleston on a 64-acre site. The Coast Guard is developing the facility into a major home port for its fleet, with infrastructure projects including the reconstruction of Pier Mike and new operational support buildings.
In May 2026, the Coast Guard awarded Whiting-Turner a $116.7-million contract to replace Pier Mike. The new pier is designed to accommodate four offshore patrol cutters and one visiting cutter, with each berth also capable of handling national security cutters.
The Coast Guard also awarded Brasfield & Gorrie contracts for additional base infrastructure. A $95.5-million contract covers a new 30,000-square-foot medical and dental facility, visitor centre and entry control point, while a separate $230-million design-build contract awarded in June 2026 covers new operational support facilities.
The latter project includes a 90,000-square-foot engineering complex, a 120,000-square-foot multifunctional building, housing for 75 personnel, a galley, fitness centre, exchange and parking structure. Completion is expected in 2030.
The Coast Guard said the combined value of recent infrastructure upgrades at Base Charleston exceeds $440 million. The projects are intended to expand the base’s capacity to support current operations and the next generation of Coast Guard cutters.