A $6.2 million project has commenced at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to rebuild one of the two security gates at the facility, according to an article by the Fosters Daily Democrat website.

The shipyard, located in Kittery, Maine, will finish construction on the gate by spring 2013. The “state-of-the-art” security gate will have two inbound lanes for cars and one inbound lane for trucks, situated around a guard house, says Shipyard Deputy Public Affairs Officer Danna Eddy. The gate will funnel outbound traffic into two lanes, the article says.

Shipyard officials decline to comment on why the upgrades to the security gate are necessary, citing a “long-standing Navy policy” to stay silent on physical security details, the article says.

The shipyard is outfitted with three dry docks, and its primary function is to service the Navy’s fleet of submarines. While the second gate is being upgraded this month, work is also being planned inside the high-security facility to address a backlog of necessary upgrades, the article says.

The Navy has stated that the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard requires at least $513 million in renovations.

The new facility was designed to blend into its environs by incorporating some of the common architectural elements of the neighborhood, such as dormers, gable roof lines, and similar building materials and color schemes, the article says. Pedestrian access to the gate will be integrated with existing street sidewalks.

Approximately 5,187 employees work at the shipyard, and both gates – including Gate 2 while under construction – will be kept open to the greatest extent possible.