NARRAGANSETT, RI – Visitors to the popular Camp Cronin Fishing Area and overlook site at Point Judith in Narragansett, RI, will have to leave their vehicles behind when visiting the site from late October until mid-May 2015 as construction work is underway to complete the Camp Cronin stone revetment and East Shore Arm breakwater repair project. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District are working together to complete the repair project.
The duration of closure of the Camp Cronin Fishing Area to vehicular access will be on or about Oct. 22, 2014 to May 15, 2015 while the construction project is underway. The location of the closure is the access road off of Ocean Road to the Camp Cronin Fishing Area. Here is a link to the map that shows the area restricted to vehicles: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Portals/74/docs/Topics/CampCronin/CampCroninMap.pdf.
Pedestrian access will be allowed for the duration of the construction project. A construction fence will delineate a four foot wide pedestrian pathway on the east side of the access road from Ocean Road. This pathway will allow access to the Point Judith Fisherman's Memorial.
"We are thrilled to be able to partner with the Army Corps of Engineers and begin reconstruction of the iconic and popular Camp Cronin Fishing Area following the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy," said RIDEM Director Janet Coit. "The improvements being made to the shoreline will restore and protect the site from future storm events and preserve public access to site for generations to come."
The project will be completed under the terms of a $8,449,750 contract awarded on Aug. 27, 2014 by the Corps of Engineers to RC&D, Inc., of Pawtucket, RI. RIDEM will be funding approximately $3,400,420 through a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Disaster Recovery - Community Development Block Grant administered by the Rhode Island Department of Administration.
This portion will cover the construction of the revetment on state property. Construction is scheduled to start in late October 2014 and take about 19 months to complete, over two construction seasons (Oct. 1, 2014 to May 15, 2015 and Oct. 1, 2015 to May 15, 2016) to avoid impact to recreation.
"Work consists of constructing an ocean shoreline stone revetment at the Camp Cronin fishing area in Narragansett and constructing emergency repairs to the adjacent East Shore Arm Breakwater of the Point Judith Harbor of Refuge Federal navigation project," said Corps of Engineers Project Manager Jennifer Flanagan. "The existing shoreline and breakwater were both damaged during Hurricane Sandy in October 2012."
The shoreline revetment work involves excavation, furnishing and placing gravel bedding, stone filter materials, underlayer stone, 2-ton stone, armor stone, cobble fill, crushed stone, and parking lot fill. Work will involve removing, stockpiling, and resetting existing cobble and boulders currently at the site. Repairs to the breakwater will require the furnishment, delivery, and placement of new armor stone (up to 15-tons per stone) to replace stones displaced during Hurricane Sandy, and the filling in of existing gaps and low points along the breakwater.
The repairs will be performed to restore the breakwater to the original profiles and cross-sections. Repairs will require substantial moving and manipulation of both new and existing stones to achieve both the required interlocking placement and design grades. The project will be managed by the Corps under the supervision of a Corps' Quality Assurance Representative to assure compliance with contract requirements.
For more project information visit the website at: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Navigation/RhodeIsland/PointJudith.aspx. A map is available at: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Portals/74/docs/Navigation/RI/PJH/PJHmap.pdf.
Questions regarding the vehicle access restriction can be directed to Andres Aveledo of RIDEM at 401-222-4700 ext. 7235 or Jennifer Flanagan of USACE at 978-318-8015.