Steamship Authority photo:
WOODS HOLE – Work has resumed for the Steamship Authority’s reconstruction project for the Woods Hole Ferry Terminal.
The contractor, Jay Cashman Inc., is mobilizing at the site this week to prepare for phase 2B of the project.
“Phase 2B is a continuation of what was taking place this past spring in which they will be working on the area of our facility in Woods Hole on the north side where the building previously had been,” said Bob Davis, the general manager of the Steamship Authority.
Preparation work will include placing two barges at the end of the wharf that was once the home of the Authority’s administrative offices.
The work that will be conducted as part of the newest phase includes the removal of the old sheet pile bulkhead on the west and north sides of the old wharf, excavating soil to the water depth in the project designs, and installing the new sheet piling and fendering system for the new Slip #3.
The slip will include a new transfer bridge and new landside utilities.
Approximately 60 piles are expected to be driven throughout the season. Nine of them will be large-diameter monopole dolphins that will be used to guide the ferries into the slip. The remaining piles will be used to support the transfer bridge and the passenger loading pier.
The Authority installed a vibration monitoring system installed last month to monitor the effects of the pile driving on surrounding properties. The instruments are located in the basement of the Authority’s temporary terminal building and on the Naushon Trust property.
Results of the vibration monitoring will be shared on a weekly basis at www.steamshipauthority.com and in project update emails to the community.
The entire project will require about four or five more years of work.
“We are going to be rebuilding all three slips and it’s going to take three offseasons here to redo those,” Davis said. “We also have the terminal building that will need to be done.”
Davis said the project is intended to extend ferry service to the islands from Woods Hole for at least another 50 years.
“It is going to improve the safe approaches for the vessels by re-angling them slightly,” Davis said. “It also will address the tidal issues for storms and will get the property up higher.”
Davis said the location of the work during this offseason will have a limited impact on ferry passengers.
As work progresses, traffic patterns and ferry loading and unloading procedures may change to accommodate construction.
The work does impact operations as a vessel that is normally only crewed Monday through Friday requires crew on weekends to make sure it can be moved out of the way for other vessels.
By BRIAN MERCHANT, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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