The increase of the Nassau Cruise Port’s capacity to 30,000 passengers per day from 20,000 was accomplished without compromising the integrity of the region’s delicate ecology.

Protecting the local flora and fauna was paramount. Before construction began, 31 mahogany trees, guaiacum and guapira trees were safely removed and replanted in locations outside the construction zone to ensure their continued survival.

In consultation with regional experts, a protected class of sea turtles was identified and removed from an area within the site for the port’s new retaining wall. Captured by divers, the turtles were safely released into the ocean.

Photo by Ertan Şahin

Additionally, with the aid of local experts, more than 1,965 coral colonies were identified in the project’s impact area and relocated from the seabed and harbor walls before they were safely released into alternative habitats suitable for survival.

Photo by Ertan Şahin

The scope of the work included the expansion of the port’s cruise pier, dredging, reclamation, two new harbors and a retaining wall on Prince George Wharf called a combi-wall, which is a combination of large-diameter steel pipe piles and sheet piles. Additionally, in an area adjacent to the port, workers built an arrival terminal, a museum and amphitheater, a safe passenger access route and a new park.

Photo by Ertan Şahin

Though inclement weather and COVID-19 travel restrictions made the mobilization of craftworkers, equipment and material logistics challenging, proactive measures and meticulous planning helped safeguard the jobsite from flooding, debris and other disruptions, protect worker health and ensure the project was completed on time, without interrupting the active port’s operations. Also, prefabrication helped minimize onsite work.