CONCORD, Mass. – Construction of shore protection and beach restoration at Misquamicut Beach in Westerly, Rhode Island, will be completed under the terms of a $ 3.1 million contract recently awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District.
Work will be accomplished by MZM Construction Company, of Newark, N.J. Construction is scheduled to start in mid-April and be completed by June 1. The contract was awarded on March 20, 2014.
Misquamicut Beach is a Rhode Island state beach located approximately halfway between Weekapaug Breachway and Watch Hill Point in Westerly. It is owned by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) and managed by the Division of Parks and Recreation. It includes the beach, beach pavilion, public parking, and a public campground.
Misquamicut Beach was initially constructed by the federal government in late 1959 and early 1960 as a beach erosion control project. The project was authorized by the River and Harbor Act of July 14, 1960. The project involved the direct placement of sand fill along 3,250 feet of beach to form a 150-foot wide berm at elevation +7.5 feet mean low water (MLW).
“The restoration project involves the placement of sand fill at Misquamicut Beach in order to restore the project to full profile dimensions,” said Project Manager Chris Hatfield, of the Corps’ New England District, Engineering and Planning Division in Concord, Mass. “The deposited sand will be placed in piles above mean high water and then graded to the elevations required. The project will require approximately 84,000 cubic yards of sand to be placed on the beach.” The sand will be purchased from a local supplier, trucked to the site and spread on the beach using earth moving equipment.
For information on Misquamicut Beach visit the website at:
http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/ShoreBankProtection/RhodeIsland/Misquamicut.aspx.
The project will be managed by the Corps under the supervision of a Corps’ Quality Assurance Representative to assure compliance with contract requirements. For information on contract solicitations or awards visit: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/BusinessWithUs/Contracting.aspx. For general information visit: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/. The website for information on Small Business opportunities is: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/BusinessWithUs/SmallBusiness.aspx.