U.S. Army Continues Construction on Massive, $800 Million Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Fort Detrick

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Reported by Annette Kreuger Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--In 2009, construction kicked off on the $800 million U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) Replacement Facility in Fort Detrick, Maryland. USAMRIID is the U.S. Army's branch for defensive research to combat biological warfare, and is the only U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) laboratory equipped with Biosafety Level-4 (BSL4) capabilities.

See chart below for a detailed list of related projects.

The new lab's capacity will allow for expanded research into the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of such threats as anthrax, the West Nile virus and Ebola hemorrhagic fever, which lack effective drugs or vaccines and can become a virtual death sentence for those infected. USAMRIID also plays a critical role in the status of the country's emergency preparedness.

USAMRIID is a cornerstone of the U.S. biodefense strategy and is a key component of the National Interagency Biodefense Campus at Fort Detrick. Stringent security measures were factored into the building's design, both redundant and thorough, with the goal being maximum security at every level.

Planned as the largest, most complex biocontainment facility in the world, the six-story, 835,000-square-foot building will become an essential component of the National Interagency Biodefense Campus, located within Fort Detrick. The replacement facility project pushes the total investment value of recent construction activity on the campus, from various government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to just more than $1 billion.

Designed under a joint venture of CUH2A (acquired by HDR Incorporated (Omaha, Nebraska) in 2008) and Smith Carter, USAMRIID will seek LEED Silver certification. The joint-venture team of Manhattan Construction Company (Washington, D.C.) and Torcon Incorporated (Red Bank, New Jersey) is constructing the massive project, scheduled to be fully operational in 2017.

A 2013 fire in the lab, causing an estimated $10 million in damages, expanded the project's timeline, which originally called for a completion date in 2014.

Project ID	Project TIV	Project Name	Project Status
26001008	$800,000,000	FREDERICK USAMRIID MED BIODEF RESEARCH REPLACEMENT FACILITY	Active
26001179	$30,000,000	FREDERICK USAMRIID BIOWASTE STERILIZATION PLANT ADDITION	Complete / Done
26000736	$105,000,000	FREDERICK GRASSROOT INTEGRATED RESEARCH LABORATORY	Complete / Done
26000939	$150,000,000	FREDERICK GRASSROOT BIOLOGICAL DEFENSE (NBACC) LABORATORY	Complete / Done

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