The Port of Houston Authority awarded nearly $35 million in contracts for design and construction of additional entry and exit gates for the Bayport container terminal.

The contracts include $33.2 million to Satterfield & Pontikes Construction and $1.1 million to an existing contract with Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam for management of the gate expansion and other projects at Bayport, where the port is concentrating expansion of its container activities.

By The Numbers: U.S. Container Trade 2008-2010

The port commission approved the contracts at a meeting at which CEO Alec Dreyer noted that container volume in 20-foot-equivalent units is flat, but steel shipments are up 69 percent, or 740,000 tons, year-to-date.

He said February steel volume totaled 230,000 tons, up from 125,000 a year earlier, despite 11 consecutive days in which the port was closed or affected by heavy fog.

“Coming out of this lengthy fog slowdown, the Houston pilots handled a record 95 vessels in one day, a testament to their commitment to keeping the Houston Ship Channel open for business,” Dreyer said.

-- Contact Joseph Bonney at jbonney@joc.com.