September 17, 2026

$174M Coast Guard contract awarded for next phase of Base Seattle upgrades

Photo courtesy U.S. Coast Guard [enlarge]

The first phase of the Coast Guard’s Base Seattle modernization is about a third of the way finished.

The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded a $173.7 million contract for the next phase of work to modernize Base Seattle, preparing the base for Arctic and Antarctic operations.

The Coast Guard's Facilities Design and Construction Center awarded the contract to the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company for Phase 1B. This includes construction of a new pier at Slip 36B, structural enhancements, and utility and electrical upgrades.

“Modernizing Base Seattle is critical to ensuring our Coast Guard has the infrastructure required to support the next generation of cutters and the missions they will perform in the Arctic and across the Pacific,” said Adm. Thomas G. Allan Jr., Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard, in a news release Monday. “This investment strengthens our ability to homeport and maintain polar security cutters, enhances readiness for our growing surface fleet, and ensures our crews have the facilities they need to meet the Nation's evolving maritime security needs.”

The latest award builds on the Coast Guard's initial Base Seattle modernization contract, announced in September 2025. Whiting-Turner was also chosen for that first phase of work, with a contract valued at $137 million.

The Coast Guard says that Phase 1A is 26% complete.

Phase 1B will involve dredging Slip 36 and building two modernized major cutter berths capable of hosting polar security cutters (PSCs). According the news release, phases 1A and 1B remain on schedule for completion in 2029.

Phase 1C is in the planning stages, with all three set to be finished in 2030. Once work is completed, the Coast Guard says Base Seattle will be ready to support delivery of the first PSC.

The full modernization project is set to deliver four major cutter berths for the Coast Guard's growing surface fleet.