Thursday night, September 20, Electric Boat held a public meeting at the City of Groton Municipal building to discuss a major expansion of the Groton shipyard, which will include a new construction bay where the future Columbia-class submarines will be built. At this point in time, the design process is now about 15 percent complete, with construction to begin late next year, continuing through 2023. This time frame ensures we will be ready to accept the first Columbia module in 2024.
Thursday’s meeting had over 50 attendees, including local officials. Attendees were split into rotating groups, visiting five separate stations where they received information on various topics pertaining to the construction process, followed by time to have questions or concerns addressed by EB representatives. At the end of the night, those in attendance left with a better understanding on the importance of this project, and all that it will entail.
At this stage in the process, EB is seeking permits at federal, state and local level. We will continue to provide updates at milestones during the project, as transparency and outreach to employees and the public is our goal. This major expansion project, one of the largest EB has initiated in decades, will help ensure that Electric Boat continues providing the best submarines to the fleet for years to come.
In the coming weeks, the Facilities team will hold lunch time information sessions where employees will be able to learn more about the expansion and ask questions of team members. Stay tuned to Homeport and EB Landing for dates and times.
