The McMurdo Docking Pier has arrived at McMurdo Station, the U.S. research facility in Antarctica, after a journey of 9,159 nautical miles across the Pacific and Southern Oceans.

This pier was towed from the Pacific Northwest by TradeWinds Towing, taking 69 days and averaging a speed of 5.5 knots during the trip. The crew had to spend four days navigating around severe weather in the Southern Ocean. On the last stretch from New Zealand to Antarctica, they faced waves as high as 30 feet.

The new pier will replace the old seasonal ice pier that was used for many years. It has a special design that allows it to float on top of sea ice and is built to last in harsh polar conditions. This will provide better and low-maintenance mooring options to support cargo operations at Antarctica's largest research center.

Constructed in Portland by Gunderson Marine & Iron and designed by Glosten for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the pier symbolizes the strength of American shipbuilding and highlights the commitment to support crucial scientific research in extreme environments, according to Dee Burch, President of Gunderson Marine & Iron.

The successful arrival of the pier marks a significant step in the ongoing effort to upgrade the logistics infrastructure that supports U.S. research in Antarctica.

This permanent docking solution comes after the old ice pier was found to be unusable during the 2025 season due to significant damage. As a temporary measure, the Military Sealift Command used a 65-ton floating Marine Causeway System.

For the 2026 resupply season, the MSC chartered a Dutch-flagged heavy-lift ship named Plantijngracht to transport cargo and another 65-ton Modular Causeway System to McMurdo.

Operation Deep Freeze represents a collaboration between Defense Support to Civilian Authorities and the National Science Foundation, which manages the U.S. Antarctic Program. MSC-chartered ships have been making the annual journey to Antarctica since McMurdo Station was established in 1955.

This mission is supported by the USCGC Polar Star, the only active heavy icebreaker operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. This 50-year-old vessel works on creating and maintaining a navigable path to the station, allowing for essential deliveries of fuel and cargo that support research operations.