Crews from New England Building and Bridge Company Inc are working with Bay Crane Company to remove the steel sheets that were installed to construct the cofferdam in order to move the project into the final phase prior to completion.
Items still to be completed on the project include:
1.
Removal of old damaged asphalt on the upland portion of the ramp and installation of new asphalt.
2. Removal of the existing floating dock, pilings and aluminum gangway and installation of new timber pilings, ADA compliant floating dock and aluminum gangway.
3. Construction of a new ADA compliant pathway from the parking lot to the boat ramp.
4. Site cleanup and restoration of the park areas to the original condition.
The Marina Park boat ramp will remain closed while these remaining items on the project are completed. Alternative launching locations in Point Judith Pond are the Galilee Boat Ramp (bridge restrictions), and the end of Pond Street or Gooseberry Road. Boaters should be aware that the Pond Street and Gooseberry Road public Rights of Ways do not have pavement that extends into the water beyond the end of the road surface and there is no public parking in the area.
While the contractor does not anticipate completion prior to Memorial Day Weekend, they are aware of the importance of this ramp to the boaters of South Kingstown and surrounding areas and have assured the town they will be working to complete the project as expeditiously as possible with the goal of completing the project for early summer.
The boat ramp reconstruction project is funded through the Town's Capital Improvement Program and by Rhode Island's share of authorized and appropriated funds from the federal Sports Fish Recreation Act managed by
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.