ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) - The USS Portland, a new Navy ship that will be commissioned later this month in its namesake city, has arrived in Portland.
The vessel with nearly 400 crew members aboard docked at the Port of Astoria on Thursday before reaching Portland Marine Terminal #2 on Saturday.
It will be commissioned on April 21. Tours will be offered during the week, leading up to the commissioning ceremony.
Tour schedule:
- Monday, April 16: 2-5 p.m.
- Tuesday, April 17: 2-5 p.m.
- Wednesday, April 18: 2-5 p.m.
- Friday, April 20: 2-4 p.m.
The San Antonio-class amphibious transport weighs 25,000 tons and is 684 feet long.
It is the first ship to be named exclusively for Oregon's largest city.
It was built in Mississippi for $1.6 billion and sailed through the Panama Canal before docking in San Diego in January.
Gary Piercy, commissioning committee chairman, says the ship would likely respond to an emergency like a large Pacific Northwest earthquake.
Photos: USS Portland arrives in Portland