Hancock County Port & Harbor Dock Improvements win ACEC Honor Award

February 18, 2020

From L to R: Geoffrey Clemens, P.E., Compton Engineering, President; Scotty Adams, Hancock County Board of Supervisors President, District 4;  Beau Gex, Port Director, Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission; James Buras, Compton Engineering

Hancock County, MS (Feb. 19, 2020) – Compton Engineering was recently awarded with the 2020 American Council of Engineering Companies in Mississippi’s ‘Honor Award’ for the Linea Dock Bulkhead Improvements project at the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission’s (HCPHC) Port Bienville maritime port.

HCPHC owns and operates Port Bienville Industrial Park and Port Bienville Maritime Port, where the primary dock is commonly referred to as the ‘Linea Dock’.  The Linea Dock is used to create opportunities for container on barge and related markets, which increases the economic viability of Port Bienville for its tenants and customers.

In 2017, the last remaining Hurricane Katrina Community Development Block Grant funds for Hancock County were awarded to HCPHC for a $9 million reconstruction of the dock, which is located at the mouth of Port Bienville. This project, implemented in conjunction with Hancock County, reconstructed the damaged dock and extended its length by 300 feet. This investment, along with Port & Harbor’s planned dredging investment soon underway, will facilitate increased draft barge and shipping traffic into the Port.  The Dock improvements will also expand the types of vessels and cargo that frequent Port Bienville.

Compton Engineering firm developed and designed the improvements to the Linea Dock, and oversaw implementation of the restoration project.  The total rehabilitation and restoration of the Linea Dock was completed in April of 2019, and the project officially closed in January 2020.  This berthing area can now accommodate up to 6 barges lined from bow to stern, and features a heavy lift area with a capacity of 1,500 psf.  Compton Engineering also designed and managed the installation of 1000 linear feet of bulkhead with a pile supported concrete apron tied into an existing bulkhead tieback system, a large crushed stone yard with lighting, repairs to an existing concrete slab, floating dock, and a security fence.

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About HCPHC

The Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission was established in 1963 to lead the county’s economic development activities. Stennis International Airport and Port Bienville Industrial Park are home to 30 companies with more than 1,000 employees. For more information visit www.portairspace.com