Crowley Puerto Rico Services, Inc. has broken ground on a $48.5-million construction project for a new pier at its Isla Grande Terminal in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The project includes the development of a new 900-foot-long, 114-foot-wide concrete pier and all associated dredging needed to accommodate Crowley’s two new liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered, Commitment Class ships, which are scheduled for delivery in 2017. Crowley’s terminal expansion also includes the installation of three new ship-to-shore container gantry cranes, which will be supplied under a separate contract.

“This important project represents close collaboration between private business and the Puerto Rico Ports Authority to make a major investment in the infrastructure of Puerto Rico,” explained Jose “Pache” Ayala, Crowley vice president, Puerto Rico. “We are very pleased to be working with a Puerto Rico-based construction company that is utilizing workers on the island and keeping the money in the local economy.”

About 75 jobs have been created during the construction phase and about 100 new jobs will be created when the construction is completed in mid-2017 and Crowley begins service with its new ships.

“With the first pile driven, we look forward to watching the coming transformation of our terminal into the most modern and efficient port facility on the island,” said Tom Crowley, the company’s CEO. “Our new terminal infrastructure will help us reposition Puerto Rico as a shipping and logistics hub for the Caribbean Basin and beyond, and open up many new opportunities for our customers.”

In all, Crowley is investing about $500 million in its Puerto Rico service with the construction of two new state-of-the-art ships, the new pier, three new container cranes, new truck access gates, reefer plugs, new containers and container handling equipment, and more.

Crowley has served the Puerto Rico market since 1954, longer than any other carrier in the trade. The company, with over 250 Puerto Rico employees, is also the number one ocean carrier between the island commonwealth and the U.S. mainland.