The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans recently dedicated its new Hines Lane Wharf on the west bank of the Mississippi River. The $8.4-million reconstruction project, which includes $1.7 million received by the City of New Orleans in a Federal Urban Development Action Grant, will provide the Todd Shipyards Corporation with an expanded capacity for ship repair.
Hines Lane Wharf was originally a timber structure built in 1926 by the Dock Board in an agreement with Todd. In 1967, a 1,000-foot section was renovated at a cost of $2 million. In the current project the remaining 532 feet on the upstream end has been replaced with a modern facility, and a 450-foot section has been added to the downstream side. The addition creates berthing space for one more ship and also for a new floating drydock built by Todd.
The rebuilt section of the wharf joins the Navy upper ship repair wharf constructed during World War II, which the Dock Board purchased and leased to Todd in 1967. The 2,000 feet of the extended Hines Lane Wharf, together with the upper Navy wharf, now give Todd some 4,000 feet of continuous reinforced wharf for berthing and repairing ships.