PROVINCETOWN – Emergency funding to fix damage at the Cape Cod National Seashore done by winter storms has been approved by the National Park Service.
The money will be used to replace stairs that were destroyed at Nauset Light Beach in Eastham and the parking lot that was heavily damaged at Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown.
Superintendent George Price says the stairs should be repaired by the first week of June. The timeline for the Herring Cove Beach north parking will be determined once a contract is in place.
“We recognize that these are both short-term solutions. Both of these facilities have received storm damage each winter over the past three winters, reflecting an increase in storm activities from when these same facilities would only be affected once every three to four years,” Price said.
The Herring Cove Beach North Public Use Site Plan and Environmental Assessment was approved in 2014, with a new design for the parking lot which would be located 125 feet farther back from the shoreline. Seashore officials believe that will be far enough back to provide beach access for another 50 years.
“We continue to seek funding to implement long-term, sustainable solutions,” said Price
The extensive winter also caused a delay in completion of the Province Lands Road reconstruction project. The section of road between Race Point Road and the entrance to Herring Cove Beach is now planned to be re-opened by Friday, May 22.
The sections of the bicycle trail that have been closed for replacement of the bike tunnels under Province Lands Road are also planned to be re-opened by May 22.
