HARWICH – The official start date for the Saquatucket Harbor waterside reconstruction project is Monday, but the contractor has been removing finger piers and piles for weeks.
The $7 million project will see the installation of a new dock system after dredging the harbor.
The harbor has been cleared of all recreational and commercial boats as demolition work ramps up this week.
“For the next couple of weeks they will be finishing up the demolition – clear the harbor of all docks, piles and everything and then the dredge will come in,” said John Rendon, the Harwich harbormaster. “And they’ll dredge about 17,000 cubic yards of material from the harbor.”
The dredged material will be discarded at the Rhode Island Sound disposal site. The dredging work must be completed by January 15.
“That’s kind of the important window to meet,” Rendon said. “Hopefully we’ll have some good weather so we can get the dredge spoils out of here.”
After dredging work is completed the new docks, which are being constructed by a subcontractor, will be installed.
Rendon said the target is to have the new dock system in place by late spring.
“We may not have all our services totally provided by then,” he said. “But the hope is all the docks will be in place for Memorial Day weekend.”
Rendon said the upgrade is needed for the harbor which services recreational, commercial, charter and ferry vessels.
“It’s the highlight of the town and the docks are tired and they are in drastic need of being replaced,” Rendon said.
Rendon expects Harwich to have one of the premier marina’s on Cape Cod.
“I think everybody is looking forward to it,” he said. “Everybody’s been very cooperative and receptive to leaving a little earlier knowing that we need to get started a little early because they know, I think, that we are going to have a really good product here in the spring.”
By BRIAN MERCHANT, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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