Our crews recently completed complex heavy lift operations aboard the Merchant Vessel SVEND in support of the Cemetery Brook Drain Tunnel Project, an ambitious $365 million storm drain project in Manchester, New Hampshire. The SVEND came from across the Atlantic Ocean to the Porstmouth State Pier, where PCMS crews, working alongside several respected New England companies, offloaded a massive tunnel boring machine (TBM) along with its associated parts and gantries. The TBM, dubbed “Granite Janet,” weighed in at 281 tons and measured 570 feet long when fully assembled.
The work is part of Manchester’s ongoing 20-year combined sewer overflow program to improve water quality in the Merrimack River, a massive undertaking that involves digging up streets and replacing single-pipe structures with two separated systems for sewage and stormwater.
Projects like the Cemetery Brook Drain Tunnel Project are a reminder that marine transportation and waterfront operations remain essential to advancing major infrastructure improvements throughout New England. From reducing roadway congestion to providing efficient transport for oversized and specialized cargo, the maritime industry continues to play a vital role in supporting construction, environmental, and public works projects across the region.
For our crews, operations like these highlight the experience, adaptability, and teamwork required to complete demanding marine logistics work safely and efficiently. Heavy lift operations require precision at every stage — from vessel coordination and cargo handling to crane operations and waterfront logistics — and we are proud of the professionalism demonstrated by everyone involved.
We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a project that will support long-term infrastructure improvements for the Manchester community while continuing to showcase the importance of New England’s working waterfronts and the skilled marine professionals who keep them operating every day.