Safe Access to Menauhant Beach West Restored

FALMOUTH – The hazards at Menauhant Beach West have been fenced off or removed, allowing safe access to the beach once again.

The old road and exposed bridge foundation prevented safe access to the western portion of the beach.

“As of right now, it is safe out there for the summer,” Deputy Director of Public Works Peter M. McConarty told selectmen at their meeting last month.

“Standing on the bridge and looking out towards Foster Road, there is a clear path now and there is plenty of room to walk around where the beach grass is.”      

These new safety measures will help prevent people from climbing on or underneath the bridge, protecting them from the splintery wood with metal bars sticking out.

The DPW also removed several friction piles from the shallow water.

Using an excavator, these long, wooden poles were pulled from the ocean.

“Beachgoers can go up the side of the path, get over the bridge and get onto the west side of the beach and we blocked off the entire wood part of the bridge so no one could get on to the bridge,” said McConarty.  

“There was some spikes sticking out of the beach, there was some nails sticking up through the tops of the timbers, we knocked them all back and covered them over.”

Residents of Falmouth who had previously been concerned about the condition of the beach were happy to see the action that was taken to fix the issues,

“Within days, within hours, they were out there after we spoke about how upset we were with the beach,” said Barbara Schneider.

“They cut off the edge of the old bridge and made it work, this is such a better fix to get through the summer.”

Schneider asked if a town teeting warrant article was being considered calling for the removal of the structures at the beach.

Such an article is under consideration, according to Director of Public Works Ray Jack.

The department will seek permits to install two groins at Menauhant Beach, beach nourishment, and the removal of existing structures.

A state permit will be required for both the installation of groins and removal of the existing structures.