HARWICH – The costs to upgrade Saquatucket Harbor in Harwich is up in the air.
The project is estimated at $7.2 million, but dredging alone could cost up to $1.6 million, depending on how much material is dredged.
Plans call for about 12,500 cubic yards to be dredged from the harbor during the upgrade, with the goal of creating a six foot depth or more for larger boats.
“Most of the boats that are out there only require a drop of six feet or less, which is what the original harbor dredging was when it was originally constructed,” said Russell Titmuss of Bourne Consulting. “There’s an area where the larger passenger boats which we proposed to go slightly deeper to eight feet.”
Dredging costs nearly $100 per cubic yard, but if the material has runoff chemicals in it, it could cost as much as $150, to be disposed in a landfill.
“Until we confirm the nature of the material to be dredged and where it can be disposed of, the costs per cubic yard can vary dramatically,” said Titmuss.
The first step is to sample the bottom of the harbor and send it to the Army Corps of Engineers, which the town plans to do next month.
Upgrades planned for the harbor include an increase in the number of slips, a new gangway and some minor bulkhead work.
The project will go out to bid this summer, with work expected to start in early 2017.
By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter
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