Test piles driven at emergency center site groundbreaking set for late July

As of Wednesday afternoon, workers had driven six or seven test pilings at the site of the Port of Morgan City’s new $9.5 million Government and Emergency Operations Center, Port of Morgan City Executive Director Raymond “Mac” Wade said.
The test pile work cost about $27,000 and is being done by Howard Pile Driving Company, Wade said.
The test piles will sit from three to four weeks at the site to determine what the adequate length of piles would be, Wade said. “Everything’s on schedule. Everything’s moving just like we anticipated,” Wade said.
The Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District commission approved up to $40,000 on more test piles at the site to make sure the ground underneath the surface is stable.
The groundbreaking or ground clearing of the center will commence by the end of July or early August, Wade said. After that, fill material and water line work will begin, he said.
Port officials plan to finish the two-story, roughly 35,000-square-foot building by the beginning of the 2015 hurricane season. The building will serve as a command center during emergencies such as hurricanes and can house governmental agencies.