The US Navy selected a joint venture of Tutor Perini Corp. and Nan Inc. to repair a breakwater at Naval Base Guam damaged last year when Typhoon Mawar hit the U.S. territory, contractors and the Navy announced in October. The contract has a base price of $330.6 million, but options on the contract could increase its value to about $560 million if exercised.
The 3-mile-long glass breakwater bounds the north side of Apra Harbor, which is used by both the military and the Port of Guam. Helps protect against tides, currents and storm surges. But it “suffered significant damage” during the typhoon and is now classified as a failure by the US Army Corps of Engineers, according to the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Marianas. The breakwater is at risk of breaking during another strong storm, Navy officials say.
“Yes that [breakwater] violations, inbound and outbound traffic going to Port Arpa will not be able to enter,” Vice Adm. Jeffrey Jablon said during a Senate subcommittee hearing in May. “That includes our submarines, our Navy surface ships , our submarine tenders that are stationed there. So it’s vital to operations in Guam.”
The Category 4 typhoon hit Guam in May 2023 with sustained winds of 130-140 mph, 72 inches of rain and storm surges of up to 12-14 feet, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
At a Senate hearing in May, Jablon said the typhoon “did a lot of damage to our critical infrastructure.” At the time, he estimated the cost of repairs to the breakwater at $600 million, and repairs to a helicopter squadron at $580 million. US Air Force officials also said it faced high costs for repairs after the storm.
The scope of the five-year contract focuses on three of the most critical parts of the breakwater, according to NAVFAC Marianas, which awarded the contract on Oct. 12. Given future funding for the other contract options, it could include repairing the entire length of the structure. .
It is now being designed, with the aim of starting work on the water next August and finishing work in July 2029.
“This project will provide critical infrastructure improvements that will strengthen our resiliency to natural disasters and support the livelihoods of our residents,” Capt. Troy Brown, NAVFAC Marianes commander, said in a statement.
Sylmar, Calif.-based Tutor Perini and Nan’s joint venture, TPC-NAN, is one of five Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP) multiple-award construction contract holders, according to NAVFAC marianas Tutor Perini said in a statement that its Guam subsidiary, Black Construction Corp., will manage work on the project. Black previously completed a smaller repair project on part of the glass breakwater in 2013.
The typhoon and subsequent repairs come amid a push to increase the US military presence on Guam. On Oct. 30, Granite announced that NAVFAC had selected it for a $42 million design-build contract for works and infrastructure for missile defense and warning systems at Naval Base Guam. This work is scheduled to end in August 2026.
