Inside the Race to Rebuild a Port City

Two years after the explosion, cranes are back on the skyline. So are the old arguments about who the rebuilt harbour is for.

Inside the Race to Rebuild a Port City
Photo: Captain Albert E. Theberge, NOAA Corps (ret.) / Wikimedia Commons

The port is moving cargo again. On a clear morning, six cranes swing containers onto ships along a quay that, two years ago, was rubble and twisted steel.

For the city, recovery has been a mix of pride and unease. The new terminals are faster and safer. They are also owned by a consortium that bought the concession during the crisis, and the terms of that deal are still secret.

Local groups are asking for them to be published. “We are glad to see the cranes,” said one resident. “We would like to know who they work for.”