10/14/2026
The Navy is planning a nearly $15 billion overhaul of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton — the single most expensive shore infrastructure investment the Navy has ever proposed, and what officials call a "once-in-a-generation" effort to modernize a facility that has anchored the region's economy since 1891.
The Navy opened contractor bidding on Sept. 30 for a decade-long project centered on building a larger, deeper dry dock able to handle Ford-class aircraft carriers, which current facilities can't accommodate — work that involves tearing down or replacing piers and buildings, relocating the shipyard's forge operations to Bangor, and adding new support facilities, all while keeping carrier and submarine work going.
Construction employment is expected to peak around 2031-2032 at roughly 1,000 workers per shift (potentially two shifts), mostly through private contractors rather than direct Navy hires.
It's part of a much larger Navy-wide push to modernize its four shipyards that could cost over $200 billion and take 50+ years; locally, demolition starts next year, dry dock construction begins in 2030, and completion is targeted for 2038, with public comment on historic-property impacts open through Oct. 19.
